Madman
by Rinseternalsoul
Summary: Cont. In modern day Japan a Madman seeks to take over the world. Two enemies from the past are thrown together when death is snapping at their heels. SessKag Lemon Warnings
1. Chapter 1 – The Beginnings of a Nightmar

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

_Summary: Continuation. In modern day Japan a new enemy seeks to take over the world. For the madman to accomplish his goal he requires a real-life youkai of power. Sesshomaru will be cloned for the purpose of a great youkai army, and to control a youkai army, they will need the power of a miko with impressive strength. A miko like Higurashi Kagome. Two enemies from the past are thrown together when death is snapping at their heels. Sess/Kag Lemon Warnings_

A/N: Well, here it is. My new big fic. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 1 – The Beginnings of a Nightmare**

She was terrified. She had no idea why she was here and what these people wanted with her. She looked around the isolated cell. It was a clinical white with polished steel furnishings, which consisted of nothing more than a toilet and a small cot. Even the air in this place smelled of alcohol and unknown medical mixtures. The floor was stark white, cold ceramic, tiles and the walls were more of the same. The small door leading to the hallway was heavy polished steel and sported a small window of Plexiglas.

She could hear the sounds of others, like herself, futilely calling for help, but that was not what gave her the creepy feeling. No it was the _other_ sounds. The sounds of beasts, growling and snarling, that echoed through the corridor. Rough guttural sounds that _almost_ sounded... human.

The sound of keys jingling against her door alerted her to the approach of her captors. It was impossible to hide in this shell of a room, but it didn't stop her from making herself as small as possible in the corner. Tears poured down her cheeks as a man, dressed as a doctor, stepped in the room. Behind him were two large men, all looking directly at her.

The doctor made no greetings, he simply nodded toward her and said, "Test subject M245. Take her to the lab and get her ready."

She became frantic when the two men came for her. She begged for them to have mercy on her. She pleaded with them to release her. She cried for her mother. In the end her tears and words were wasted for they had no effect at all on these white clad men. She struggled against the brute strength, but it was a useless attempt at best. She was easily subdued and dragged down the clean white corridor, down a short flight of stairs and down another hallway.

Swinging double doors were opened and she found herself in a large room full of strange machines and odd bottles. It was a lab of some sort, but her attention was soon drawn and centered on a table with ominous straps equipped to hold arms and legs. Again she poured out pleas for kindness and mercy, but it held no effect, as she was hefted up to the table and strapped down. A large piece of tape was strapped roughly over her mouth, sealing further pleas from their ears.

With wide frightened eyes she watched as the doctor took over. Needles attached to clear tubes were inserted into her soft pale arms. She blinked away the moisture continuously pouring from her eyes and watched with a sense of dread as two thick needle-like spikes were positioned at her temples. In her heart she knew that her end was near. She sent up a prayer for her soul and for the comfort of her family when they discovered her death, and then braced herself for the pain.

The doctor hit a button and the mechanism began to whir. The spikes closed in on her, slowly piercing her skin until she screamed a silent scream of pain and terror. A small flash of light pulsed about her body, swirling faintly around her form and up into the spikes in her temple. The pull felt as if it were ripping her very soul from her body. So horrible was the sensation that she lost the struggle and faded into darkness.

The machine released a series of sharp beeps before returning to idle once more.

The doctor checked the gauges and cursed angrily. "Not enough! So damn weak! Another failure is not going to go over well." He reached in his coat pocket and withdrew his hand held voice recorder. He pushed record and said, "Subject M245 has resulted in failure to produce the desired energies. Test 405B complete. Subject shall be terminated immediately."

Kagome rubbed the sleep from her eyes and finally managed to drag herself out of bed. As was her usual routine, she stumbled to her desk and picked up the picture of her friends from feudal Japan. Slowly she traced her fingers over the slick cool glass. By Kami, she missed them all so much. "Good morning, Shippo, Kirara, Sango, Miroku... and Inuyasha."

She sighed deeply and replaced the framed photo back in its original spot. It was hard to believe that three years had passed by already. She missed them all so much and found herself wondering how their lives turned out in her absence. Did Miroku and Sango finally tie the knot? She hoped so. They loved each other so much. She was sure that Shippo grew to be a strong fox youkai like his father. That was his dream. And Inuyasha... would Inuyasha ever find love again? Would there ever be a special someone who would accept him as a hanyou, and love him like she had? As much as she longed for the job herself, it just wasn't meant to be.

The old familiar pain pulsed through her heart when memories of her last moments in the Sengoku Jidai filtered past her mental barriers. The looks on the faces of her friends when the wells magic engulfed her, unwillingly, and forced her back to her time. Inuyasha's voice yelling out her name frantically as he reached for her hand. It happened so fast that they were unprepared. They had all discussed the possibility that once the jewel was complete, the well may not work anymore. She had worried herself silly over going home, afraid that she would never be able to see her friends again. She had also worried about the possibility that the well would not allow her to pass through to her own time, making it impossible to see her family again. Nothing, upon nothing, prepared them for the immediate reaction of the wells magic as soon as the jewel was fused into one whole piece.

She didn't even have the chance to tell them good-bye.

With a heavy sigh, Kagome pushed the sadness away. She was getting pretty good at ignoring the pain after the last two years. What could have been, will never be and as much as it hurt she had to put it aside and continue her life.

Kagome stepped out of the bathroom after a shower and brushing her teeth. Wrapped in a damp towel she went into her room and pulled out a tan skirt and a white blouse. After graduation she landed a comfortable job as librarian at a library near her home. It was one of the largest in Tokyo and gave her the opportunity to work certain days and hours so that she could also perform her duties at the Higurashi Shrine. She didn't make a fat salary, but it was enough for her, and she liked the job.

After slipping on her brown leather two inch heels, she checked her hair one last time before heading down for a little breakfast. As soon as she rounded the corner she was greeted by the rest of the family and the wonderful smell of omelets. Her mom handed her a plate just as the telephone rang. Kagome didn't bother to get it, as Souta would have ran her over in his haste. She laughed at him when he frowned and said, "It's for you."

Kagome put the receiver to her ear and said, "Kagome here."

"Ohayou Kagome-chan. It's Eri. I was wondering if you wanted to meet me for lunch this afternoon?"

Kagome giggled and said, "Gee Eri, I haven't even eaten my breakfast yet and you're wondering about lunch!" They both laughed and then Eri replied, "Well, I'm going to be in a meeting all morning so I won't be able to call you. I thought I would make plans before I headed to the office." Kagome smiled and said, "I see. Well, in that case, I would love to have lunch with you. WacDonalds sound good today?" Eri sighed. "I was thinking of someplace a little classier. Like Fujo's Cafe?" Kagome agreed and said good-bye. She hung up the phone and turned her full attention back to that fluffy plate of omelets waiting for her at the table.

After enjoying breakfast and helping her mother to gather the dirty dishes Kagome grabbed her purse and headed to the door. In the living room her grandfather was glued to the television. "See here, Kagome. You be extra careful. The police have found another body of a young woman. That's the third one in two weeks!"

Kagome stopped for a moment and looked at the screen where a picture of the dead girl was being posted. She looked so happy and full of life in that picture. Unfortunately the image quickly flashed to a thick forested area of a park, where police and medical personnel were scattered about. A stretcher with a covered body was the focus of the cameraman's attention, and Kagome shivered before turning away.

"Don't worry Gramps. It's not far to the library. I'll be careful." Kagome leaned down and kissed the old man on the cheek before grabbing her coat and stepping out into the brisk morning air. She automatically looked up to check the sky and smiled when the clear blue emptiness greeted her.

At the library Kagome went through her normal routine. She made a pot of coffee and then proceeded to put away the stack of returned books in the overnight bin. After scanning them in she placed them in her cart. Just as she was about to push forward someone entered the library door. It was unusual for anyone to come this early in the morning so she looked up curiously.

"Ohayou Kagome-chan!"

Kagome smiled brightly and said, "Nice to see you Rishou! You sure are up early." The young man stood several inches taller than herself, and kept his hair a little unkempt and long. On his head he had a bandana tied. He came equipped with several piercing's and baggy faded jeans with a long thick chain hanging from the pocket. He wore a loose tee-shirt depicting a fight scene from S-CRY-ed between Kazuma and Ryuho, and a pair of the latest Nike shoes. Rishou walked over and placed a stack of manga books on the counter. He owned an anime store a few blocks down and they always accepted donations from customers to the library. Any old books that did not sell and the donations were brought to the library once a week.

"Tell me about it. Me and my homies were out partying late last night and I've got one hell of a hangover today. That don't mean I get to lay out of work though. Gotta pay the rent, if you know what I mean." Rishou replied. He walked along beside Kagome as she pushed the cart to the first isle of books. They had become good friends over the past year and occasionally went out together. Rishou, unfortunately, knew that he liked Kagome more than she liked him. That, however, was just a tiny obstacle in his book. You can't stop a guy from trying.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Rishou asked. Kagome shook her head and said, "I haven't got any plans yet. You?" He shook his head and said, "Same. Hey, you wanna let's go catch a movie or go do some dancing?" Kagome looked up from her task and took a moment to consider his question. She liked Rishou. He was fun to be around, but she felt bad about leading him on. She liked him, but it wasn't a boyfriend kind of like. "Listen Rishou, I think you should know..."

He cut her off by putting a finger to her lips. "Come on girl. I know what you're gonna say. That's cool. I just like hanging out with you, and you _need_ to get out more. Just say yes. I guarantee a good time."

Kagome could not say no to that, and besides, she did like to hang out with him. He was a whole lot of fun. "Sure. Pick me up Friday at seven."

Rishou beamed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, causing her face to blush bright red, but before she could say anything he was jogging out the door. She shook her head and went back to replacing the books on the shelves.

Eri grabbed a light coat and headed for the door. After locking her apartment she turned to start the four block trek to work. Her boss liked her there twenty minutes early and he deplored tardiness. She shifted her purse on her shoulder and headed out. Everyone was in a hurry this morning to get to their jobs. She smiled at a few passer-by's and greeted 'ohayou' to several people that she passed regularly everyday. After two blocks she spotted that nice looking man that always gave her a heart-stopping smile. She returned the smile with one of her own and blushed with a giggle. She then shook her head at her own silliness. One day, she hoped that the gentleman would stop and ask her name.

A cool breeze hit her, sending chill-bumps over her skin. She shivered and pulled her coat tightly around her chest and neck. The tall buildings seemed to channel the winds directly toward her this morning, almost as if warning her to turn back to the warmth and comfort of home. Eri checked her watch and picked up her pace. She certainly didn't want to be late.

After turning the corner, not half of a block from her destination, Eri was snatched from her usual morning thoughts by a hand over her mouth and a strong arm around her waist. She tried to scream, but it was no use. She kicked hard against the body at her back. It was obviously male, but she couldn't see who it was. At first she wondered if it was a prank, but then she was shocked and disbelieving that something like this could be happening to her. Unfortunately a prank was only wishful thinking.

Eri was terrified as she was dragged deep into the filthy alleyway. Her struggles were futile against the male strength. Her wide frightened eyes darted all around, hoping, praying, that someone would see what was happening and save her! It was dark here and nothing surrounded her except garbage and large industrial dumpsters. There wasn't anyone near and she began to fear for her life. What does this man want with her! Why is he doing this?

A deep, rough voice, then whispered in her ear, "Girl, make your peace with the Gods because today you die."

Eri barely had time to register the ominous words before a sharp, terrible pain sliced across her throat. She wanted to scream, to cry, to beg for mercy, but nothing would come out, and no one would hear. The man released her, and she fell to her knees. Automatically her hands flew to her burning throat, only to drenched in her own thick, warm blood. In terror she looked up to her attacker, and mouthed the word, "Why!" The question left her lips just before she fell forward, losing consciousness with the tremendous amount of blood lost.

The man stood by for only a moment, making sure that his hit was complete, then he turned to leave. With one glance over his shoulder he replied to the question asked by the dead girl. "Nothing personal. It's just business." He then slipped the blade back into its sheath and trotted away.

Kagome sat at the cafe, and finished her seasoned chicken. For the umpteenth time she looked around for her friend. It was really unlike Eri to forget a lunch date. She pulled out her cell phone and checked for a call or message, thinking that she could have somehow missed it, but there was nothing. "Oh well, she probably got tied up at work," she mumbled and slipped the phone back into her purse.

Kagome dug through her purse for some yen, and left a tip before heading back to the library. She had several new books to log into the system when she returned to work.

Later that day, Kagome arrived back home at the shrine. She greeted her family and headed up to her room to change clothes before supper. She quickly slipped out of her skirt and blouse and grabbed a pair of comfy jeans and a sweater. After getting changed she went downstairs to help her mom with the meal.

"Kagome dear, while you were changing I got a phone call from Eri's mother. Have you seen her today?" her mom asked.

Kagome stopped, she had a bad feeling about this and turned to her mother. "Actually, we were supposed to have lunch today, but she never showed."

Her mother frowned and turned back to chopping the bok choy. "That's strange. Her mother said that her work called looking for her. Apparently she never arrived his morning."

Kagome began to feel the threads of concern grip her heart. "But, this morning when she called, she was just leaving for work."

Her mom put down the knife and turned back to her with a worried expression on her face. "Oh dear. That doesn't sound very good at all. Perhaps you should call her mother and tell her what you know. It sounds like this could be more serious than she first thought."

Kagome wasted no time in grabbing the cordless and dialing the number of Eri's mother. In seconds she answered, and Kagome could hear the worried tone of her voice. She proceeded to tell Eri's mom what they discussed earlier that morning and that Eri had missed their lunch. Her mother was near to tears by the time they finished talking, and Kagome felt absolutely horrible for her. With promises to call the police and report her missing, Eri's mother hung up the phone.

She was really worried for Eri now, and could tell that her mother was growing frantic with concern. Apparently her office called looking for her, because she missed an important meeting that morning. Her mother had driven to her apartment, but nothing was out of place there, and there was no clue as to where her daughter was.

Kagome felt the building of panic. This was so unlike Eri. She was the least spontaneous person that she knew. She was totally dedicated to her job and never skipped for any other reason than being seriously sick. She wasn't sick this morning, though, and she made no mention of any other plans or problems. It was just too strange.

With troubled thoughts, Kagome relayed the conversation to her mom. She then apologized for not eating supper. She knew that she couldn't hold anything on her stomach, so she decided to head up to bed. She felt heavy and tired now. Something inside of her rolled in dread, as if her inner self knew that this would not turn out well at all. After a bath and dressing in her nightgown, Kagome climbed into bed. She had to work at the library tomorrow until noon, and then she had to serve here at the shrine until six. It would be a long day, and she could only hope that sometime along the way she would find out that her friend was home and well.


	2. Chapter 2 – Pieces of a Puzzle

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

_Summary: Continuation. In modern day Japan a new enemy seeks to take over the world. For the madman to accomplish his goal he requires a real-life youkai of power. Sesshomaru will be cloned for the purpose of a great youkai army, and to control a youkai army, they will need the power of a miko with impressive strength. A miko like Higurashi Kagome. Two enemies from the past are thrown together when death is snapping at their heels. Sess/Kag Lemon Warnings_

A/N: Well, here it is. My new big fic. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 2 – Pieces of a Puzzle**

Kagome reached out and slapped the snooze button on her alarm, but once again she accidentally hit the radio button instead. Unfortunately for her, the damn radio button countered her snooze button which disabled it, and _that_ meant no snoozing for her. With a mumbled curse, Kagome pushed her tousled head up from her fluffy warm pillow and slapped the alarm clock into the floor. She hated it anyway, and it was high time to purchase another.

After feeling somewhat satisfied with her violent solution to her non-snoozing, Kagome sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She figured that she might as well get on up and get ready. After pulling herself up out of the bed she stumbled to the bathroom.

Kagome felt a little more alive after finally pulling on a pair of navy slacks and a white button up. She decided to wear her hair up today, and paused once more in front of the mirror to make sure that her light application of makeup was on straight. Satisfied with the results, she grabbed her purse and headed downstairs for a little breakfast.

When she walked by the living room she was stopped and regarded her mom and Gramps staring at the television with horror on their faces. She frowned and stepped into the room, so that she could find out what was so terrible. Her mom noticed her right away and held up her hands in a soothing way that reminded her oddly of the time her little dog Bootsie was ran over by a car.

"Kagome dear... Please..., her mother began, but Kagome did not hear her at all, because over her shoulder she could see a picture of her smiling friend, Eri, posted in one corner of the TV, while in the background paramedics pushed a covered body from an alleyway. Kagome's breath left her body with a force so hard that she felt like someone had punched her in the gut. She stumbled over the couch and fell into it with wide shocked eyes. Her mother took the seat next to her and placed an arm, meant for comfort, around her shoulders.

She sat like that, in silence, watching in sick fascination as the reporters zoomed in on the black body bag while telling the facts as they knew them. The police pressed the people back and shook his head when asked to comment, and then suddenly the scene changed to a cool studio where the anchorwoman told the public that the body of twenty two year old Eri Watanabe had been found behind a dumpster near Taisho Arms Incorporated, where she was employed. Reports stated that her throat had been cut, but that her purse and all its contents were located near the body. Police had no comment on suspects for the murder at this time.

Tears began to spill from her eyes as Kagome absorbed the news that her friend was murdered. Eri, her ever cheerful and sometimes nosy friend from gradeschool. A friend that she had only just yesterday spoken to. They had planned to have lunch...

Suddenly she leaned forward and sobbed hard into her hands. She didn't want it to be true! She didn't want to know that Eri was taken from the world in such a violent way! She was young and smart and had so much to live for. How could such a horrible thing happen! Her mother tried to console her, but she was beyond such things. For the moment Kagome was heartbroken, and even a mothers tender love could not take away that pain.

Shuusaka Taisho stepped into his waiting limo and settled into the leather seat. He sighed deeply and turned toward the window watching as the temporary replacement for Eri Watanabe stepped up to the car carrying a light briefcase and nothing more. She was a very beautiful woman, as mortals go, but he could hardly appreciate that fact fully considering the realities of why she was here.

Eri, who had been by his side, and doing a very efficient job for the last year, had been murdered two days prior. Still the police had no clues as to who was behind her death. It was a true loss to the human world. Eri was a productive and pleasant member of society. She took her work seriously and performed at the top of her field.

Her family was devastated by the news, and he himself had felt a stirring of loss, for he had come to feel comfortable with her presence. He felt the slight as if it were a direct assault on himself. She was a close member in his employ and someone had taken her life. In times past he would have hunted the perpetrator down and made their death slow and painful, but alas this was not the past. It was modern day Tokyo, and things didn't work that way.

The scene was corrupt with the scents of too many humans, making it impossible to follow a potential suspect. He knew this, because after the police left, in the dark of night, he returned and tried to discover something. Unfortunately nothing was there to find. No, he would be unable to exact vengeance in her honor, so he did the next best thing. He offered a nice reward for information leading to the arrest of the one responsible. Her mother and father were extremely grateful, but he paid them no mind. It was a matter of honor and nothing more.

Eri knew his business almost as well as he himself. She was invaluable by his side, and now, he was faced with finding someone new. It would be hard to replace her. Very hard. Once more his mind was drawn to the woman who was now seated across from him, smiling seductively. She was lovely, for a ningen. And suddenly he felt a little cloudy from her heady scent. It was powerful, almost intoxicating. It stirred his blood in a way he could not remember ever experiencing before.

Faintly he wondered why he had not noticed it before? He couldn't quite remember being this effected by her back in the office. Was it the close space? Shuusaka shook his head slightly, in an attempt to clear the strange fog from his mind, but it was futile. Movement caught his eye and he looked up to find the woman, Suki, leaning forwad. She reached out to him, and for some reason he didn't have the will of mind to push her hand away.

He could feel his manhood stirring to life, and that was curious indeed. He never lost control of himself so easily to a woman, especially a _human_ woman. Almost as if he were in a dream he watched her smile and slowly trace her hand over his smooth cheek. Her touch was cool, and not what he would call enjoyable. Her fingertips felt moist and offensive on his skin, but he could not seem to deny the powerful urge to fill her with his aching need.

Clarity evaded him, and he leaned back more comfortably in the seat. She came forward, whispering odd tender things that he did not wish to hear, but listened to all the same. She straddled his lap and licked his jaw. He pushed his hard bulge into her heat, seeking to ease the awkward lust. Suddenly he flinched from a severe prick in his neck. Instinctively he reached out to slash the bitch in two, but his claws fell to his sides as whatever she put into his jugular vein began to course through his bloodstream. It was instant and debilitating, paralyzing him completely. His head fell back, and through half-closed eyes he watched as she moved away, then dropped a syringe into her briefcase and pulled out a cell-phone.

Her voice was growing fainter, but he still managed to hear her say.. "Subject Y132 has been acquired and will arrive in less than one hour." She then flipped it closed and placed it in the case. Helplessly he witnessed as she tapped the glass separating their seating from the driver. She asked the driver to pull over nearby, as it appeared that Taisho-sama had become ill. He blinked, feeling heavier and heavier. His mouth refused to form words, and he felt more helpless in that moment than he had ever felt in his entire life.

When the car pulled over the woman and driver got out. She proceeded to carelessly shoot the man with a silencer-equipped weapon. She stepped over his driver of the last five years, and took up the wheel. When they started moving again she looked up into the rearview mirror and smiled at him. "Well youkai, you are a fine catch. I do believe you will be the one."

Those words echoed in his mind as he faded into unconsciousness. The last thing he thought was 'she knows?'

Was he in a dream? A strange flashing nightmare? It seemed like that was the case, but nothing was clear. Nothing was solid, and nothing was insubstantial or fantasy. It was real, and not. Images of metal pulsed through his mind. Cold metal. Swords, no, a table. White... white silk kimono, no, doctors. Red blood. Pin pricks, or was it the bite of Myoga the flea? A woman was talking... was it Rin? No! Rin was long dead... He moaned in his frustration, but the sound came out weak.

The doctor stepped away from the subject and smiled at the lovely young woman. "This is incredible! A miracle find. You have outdone yourself this time Juria-sama. I do believe this will be the one, but I will have to run some tests first." Juria smirked and picked up her briefcase. "Good then. I will visit Matsuno-sama and tell him the good news. He will be overjoyed, no doubt."

She took one more glance at the delicious youkai specimen strapped securely against the wall of the pristine white laboratory. He was perfection at its finest, and she half-heartedly regretted not having the opportunity to try his youkai stamina out. He looked human enough. In the car, she could feel his hardness pressing against her, and knew well enough that his cock was built like, if not larger, than human males. It would have been an interesting experience, but this mission was too important for pleasantries.

Before she stepped out of the lab she stopped as an afterthought and said, "By the way doc, that heat scent you gave me worked like a charm. Too bad you can't whip up a batch to work on humans. We could make a fortune." She shared a laugh with him before taking her leave.

Juria walked down the long corridor, turning to avoid the hall of cells, instead taking a corridor that hosted the lounge and several offices. Her high heels clicked loudly on the tile floor as she headed toward the reinforced door at the end of the hall. Briefly she stopped to pen in her access code, then waited while the lock clicked. She stepped through the door and closed it firmly behind her. Turning around was like looking into a different world. Gone was the stark white and shining steel. Here she could not smell the scents of chemicals and disinfectant. She walked into the military bunker and headed for the main office, where she would find her boss, General Matsuno Hotaka.

Hotaka was her boss and lover, but he was much, much, more than that. He was a military genius, a brilliant man with a vision of world peace. He was not sitting back and letting things take their course, he was actually doing something to change the world. He would end world hunger and end senseless fighting. He would change the course of this sinking Earth, and he would rebuild it under his own hand. Hotaka could do anything that he set his mind to, and she would help him make it all happen.

She slid open the door and smiled at her lover. He was on the phone, but motioned for her to enter. Juria unbuttoned her blazer and then took a seat across from him. She leaned back comfortably and crossed her long shapely legs. She watched Hotaka as his eyes slowly traced her bare flesh from her Italian leather shoes to the thigh length hem of her black skirt. She smiled knowingly when his eyes met hers and she could see the lust sparkle in the brown depths.

Juria loved the power she held over this man. Hotaka bowed to no one, nor should he. He was a brilliant military genius and a handsome male. He commanded respect, but laughed easily. His ideals were strict, and would not be easily accepted by the world, but the long-term results would save the planet from mankind's current path of ruin. She admired his resolve to make it happen. He would do anything to save the planet. Nothing would stand in his way. His determination made him invincible, but her body made him beg.

Hotaka spoke his good-byes to his associate on the telephone while grazing his eyes over his wickedly dangerous lover. She was perfection in every way that he could imagine. She could do everything from bake chocolate chip cookies to snuffing a traitorous spy. She was perfect for him, and as soon as his project was in full swing he planned to make her his bride.

Together, they will rule the world.

After placing the handset back on the cradle he leaned back in his leather chair. "Well my dear, tell me something wonderful." Juria beamed him a stunning smile, and he felt his heart pick up a racing beat. Her ebony hair shone with sprinkles of dark auburn highlights and her full red lips looked so inviting.

"Sir, I have very good news. Subject Y132 has been contained and is at this very minute being submitted to extraction." Juria watched his face transform into one of complete satisfaction. His chest seemed to swell and a twinkle entered his eyes. "Excellent... excellent. Things are going perfectly," Hotaka said, then the smile dropped and he turned to her with serious, narrowed eyes. "It is imperative that we acquire a worthy miko as soon as possible. The previous subjects have fallen way short of the needed power level to boot up the Purity Machine."

Juria sighed and slumped a little more into her chair. To Hotaka she appeared to be a beautiful feline teasing him with her delicious body. He forced his mind away from pleasure and focused on the business at hand. Juria groaned inwardly. He could never be satisfied. She slid her hand over her wavy curls and said, "I will re-double our efforts. Unfortunately, the level of miko powers in general have decreased significantly with the decrease in youkai. I think we are looking for a needle in a haystack here."

"Well you will search that haystack straw by straw until you find my miko. It is imperative that we have the Purity Machine up and running before our future army breathes its first breath of air." Hotaka glared at her, pressing the importance of the matter with a hard look. "If this youkai..." he looked down at the folder on his desk, "Shuusaku Taisho, is found to be suitable for our purposes, we will begin the cloning process within ten days. I expect to have a full functioning army of adult males within five years."

Juria gasped and sat up. "That soon? How is that possible?" Hotaka smiled, entwining the fingers of both hands and pulling them to rest against the underside of his chin. "By acceleration of the cell division process. I have just this morning acquired the break-through formula from a Swedish scientist. The man was easily persuaded... with just the right amount of pressure."

Juria smiled brightly. "Why you sneaky devil. You never even told me about that." Hotaka smirked and lowered his hands to his desk. "It was an unconfirmed rumor. I decided to play a hunch and put some people on it. Fortunately the rumor was fact, and the scientist was planning to make a full report of his findings next week, Instead he was persuaded to join our cause."

Julia gave a halfhearted laugh, "I'm sure he was. Well, congratulations are in order then. Your vision of the future is now within our grasp." Hotaka nodded in agreement. "Yes it is. All we need now is to secure a strong miko. The miko power is imperative to controlling the volatile youkai. Without the threat of purification we will have no way to control the soldiers should they rebel. The Purity Machine is the only thing that we will have to insure their obedience."

Julia stood then and bowed slightly. "I understand completely Matsuno-sama. You can trust in me to find your miko." She stood and then winked at him, before taking her leave. Once out of his office she thought about the elusive miko. How could she track down a powerful miko? She already had scouts checking out the thousands of shrines in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. Perhaps she should branch out the unit and search further abroad? Everyday she got reports from various sources about a suspected miko, but three-quarters of them turned out to be nothing of the sort. A few were practicing witches, and one even turned out to be a youkai. A rather weak female youkai, but it was worth it to bring her in for testing.

Juria unlocked her office door and stepped inside. It felt like coming home. She took in a soothing breath and exhaled slowly. She put her briefcase on the desk and then walked over to grab the new faxes from the machine. She browsed through the various reports from her scouts. She pulled out three that caught her interest. Three suspected miko's that were actively working at various shrines in the area. That looked promising. Those three she would look into personally.


	3. Chapter 3 – The Chase Is On

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

_Summary: Continuation. In modern day Japan a new enemy seeks to take over the world. For the madman to accomplish his goal he requires a real-life youkai of power. Sesshomaru will be cloned for the purpose of a great youkai army, and to control a youkai army, they will need the power of a miko with impressive strength. A miko like Higurashi Kagome. Two enemies from the past are thrown together when death is snapping at their heels. Sess/Kag Lemon Warnings_

A/N: Well, here it is. My new big fic. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 3 – The Chase Is On**

Shuusaku groaned despite his best efforts to contain it. His body felt like a semi-truck had flattened him. He moved his head, very slowly, testing the flexibility of his neck muscles. They were stiff and burning. He worked his fingers, then his hands. He tested his toes and feet, before pulling one leg up to bend at the knee. Every muscle in his body seemed to be on fire, but at least he was finally able to move.

'How long have I been out?' he wondered. He opened his eyes, blinking against the stinging pain. He brought his clawed hand up to swipe at the fluids running, and then rubbed them. A few more blinks and the pain began to ease somewhat. He looked around, seeing nothing but white. He sat up; grimacing at the fire that ran up his back and abdomen. Leaning on one elbow he looked around. He was in a small room devoid of anything except a metal toilet and the bed that he was on. There was a door, which was probably securely locked with a tiny window.

How absurd.

They thought to contain him here? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the fuzzy haze, and was glad that it seemed to be dissipating quickly. Slowly he pushed himself to a sitting position, leaning over with his hands clamped down on his thighs. By the Gods, what was that insidious poison that they used on him? He hurt in every cell of his body. He did not even feel this terrible after getting struck down by the Wind Scar centuries ago.

What in the seven layers of Hell was going on? What was the purpose behind his capture? Flashes of a laboratory burst into his mind and he began to remember some of the time he spent there. He remembered blood being drawn... and other fluids. He was called by a number... why? Who were these insolent humans?

No matter. As soon as he could stand, and stay that way, he planned to vacate the premises. Hopefully he could avoid being seen using his youkai abilities. It would not do for the world to know of his existence, but he also had no intentions of letting that fact keep him locked in this place.

He thought back over everything that happened before this moment. His driver, Kenta was shot, and was probably dead. No doubt, his own disappearance was well known by now. There would be a search involving the media no doubt. That brought him to another thought. Eri was killed. Her replacement was his kidnapper. It was entirely possible that Eri's death was related to this whole thing. Damn these fools. He would take his revenge.

Yes, vengeance would be his, as soon as his body was back to full strength. For now though, he had to get out of here. Shuusaku stood, using the wall for support. Once on his feet he tested his legs. It seemed like he was gaining strength each and every moment that passed.

Soon he was feeling much more mobile. He flicked his fingers and smirked when they took on a green glow. He may not be able to level this place at the moment, but that could be taken care of at a later time. For now, retreat and regroup. He walked up to the wall and pulled his fist back for a powerful punch. His fist contacted hard with the wall, but his eyes flew wide when the wall stood strong. A spark and sizzle in the area of contact proved that the walls here were protected by some sort of strengthening barrier. Shuusaku grinned, pulled his hand up, and sent a spray of acidic poison from his Dakkasou straight at the wall. 'Let us see if they were prepared for that.'

With a satisfying sizzle he watched as his poison ate through the concrete, opening a large hole in the wall. 'I suppose they were not.'

He stepped through and peered around. Immediately he spotted dozens of guards racing toward him with growling dogs leading the way. The guards were dressed as soldiers and carried automatic weapons on their person. He scowled at the sight and shielded his sensitive eyes from the blinding floodlights pointed in his direction. With a snarl he realized that this was a heavily armed camp, and he could waste no time here. He stepped through, and formed a cloud. As soon as his feet began to lift from the ground he heard one human shout "Fire! Take it down!"

He gasped when a bullet struck his side, and just as soon, another hit his left arm. Damn, he was always getting injured in his left arm! On the bright side, he still had it, considering it took him three centuries to grow it back. He released a stronger wave of jyaki and sped his departure, feeling a bit more relieved when out of range of their weapons.

They would follow. He had no doubts that these people would come after him with everything they had. He knew their dirty secret, and they would seek to crush him for it. That is exactly what he would do in their situation. He would not be able to return to his home. They would certainly be watching every place that he was known to frequent, including his office building.

First things first, he needed to seek a place to rejuvenate his strength, gather a change of clothing, considering all that they left him wearing was a pair of flimsy hospital type pants. His cell-phone was missing as well as his wallet, money and briefcase. It was a little disheartening to say the least.

When he heard a roaring sound in the distance, he knew that he was being followed by air power. Whoever these enemies are, they have access to helicopters. Several, by the sounds of it. It was time to take to the ground. He came down and landed lightly on an empty stretch of sidewalk, quickly falling into a run. With youkai speed he tore through the streets away from the search party. As he ran he thought of allies that he could call upon. It would have to be someone that he had not seen for several decades, just to be safe.

The only one he could think of was Totosai, and that thought ruffled his fur. He could barely stand the old geezer five centuries prior, and the last time he saw Totosai it took all of his patience not to put the archaic demon out of his misery. Fine. Totosai would be a last resort. Shuusaku took a ninety-degree turn with ease and continued on his sprint through the city. He easily leapt over a bus blocking his path and cleared a van on the other side. Never breaking his stride he touched down and continued on his way.

He knew where he would go. It would pain him to do so, but she was the only one that he knew he could trust. The only one he had not spoken to in over two decades. Admittedly he abhorred her presence. She was an oddity, and gave him a feeling of absolute darkness, but she was indebted to him and now was the time to collect.

After spotting a familiar landmark he became aware of where he was. With another ninety-degree turn he headed for Sagacho.

He made sure that he was not being followed. It was not as easy as it once was, with all of the noise and pollution, but as far as he could tell his enemy had been left behind. In twenty more minutes he arrived at his destination. The long run in his weakened condition left him panting lightly and that annoyed him greatly. He stilled himself and took a straight and regal pose just before the door of the condominium apartment opened cautiously.

"You have need of me."

It was a statement, not a question, and he simply nodded curtly. She stepped back and opened the door for him to enter. He then turned and said, "Greetings. It has been some time, has it not, Kanna."

Kagome adjusted her dark sunglasses and stepped from the car. Her mother, brother and grandfather climbed out as well. Gramps groaned, complaining of his failing back, and Souta promptly grabbed his arm to assist him. Kagome pulled her handkerchief from her black purse and wiped at her blurring eyes. They all joined in the crowd exiting their cars and heading toward the gravesite where Eri would be laid to rest. Her father wearing a somber face assisted her grief stricken mother from the car. This was going to be so hard for them. They were a close family. Kagome wiped again at the hot flowing tears.

They took their places, with the family seated in the front. Kagome and her family stood just behind them to the right. The service began and Kagome drifted off into thoughts of Eri and their long years of friendship. It was going to be so strange living without her. No more shopping trips together. No more lunches and no more double dates. She was really going to miss her.

Kagome's heart suddenly began to race, and her body went tense. Her mom noticed her distress and leaned in to ask if she were okay. Kagome couldn't find her voice, but nodded. Once her mom turned back to the proceedings, Kagome turned just a little, trying to take a look around. It was a youkai that was nearby. She had never felt this strong of a youkai aura since traveling the feudal era with her friends. The sensation was not missed too greatly, for never had she encountered a powerful youkai that didn't bring trouble with them.

Discretely she scoured the surroundings, looking for anyone who could be suspect and soon spotted a man leaning casually against a tree a short distance away. He was wearing a long brown leather duster, and dark shades over his eyes. He had on a brown fedora hat as well, and Kagome couldn't tell much else than that. She leaned over to her mom and whispered, "Something strange is going on. I'm going to go check it out." Her mom, ever trusting of her miko daughter, replied, "Just be careful dear." Kagome then eased back out of the crowd, trying to remain calm. She was pretty sure that the youkai and the man were one in the same, and strangely enough... his aura felt... slightly familiar.

She headed away from the crowd and back toward her car. On the way she glanced several times to the stranger, and each time found him staring at her. Finally she decided to walk over. What the heck, right? He surely wouldn't kill her right here in front of everyone. When he noticed her path veering back toward him, she could see him visibly tense. Kagome narrowed her eyes behind her glasses trying to figure out if she had met him before.

The closer she came, the more she was aware of his impressive height. He stood at least a head and a half taller than herself. She stopped just out of arms length and waited for him to speak, but when he did she never really expected to recognize the voice.

"Miko."

Her breath left her in a gust and her blood ran cold. She slipped her hands behind her so that he could not see them shaking. "S... Sesshomaru."

"It Shuusaku Taisho now, at least for public purposes," he replied.

The knowledge crashed into her brain like a hammer. Shuusaku Taisho was Eri's boss. "Y... you were her boss..."

"Hai. It is unfortunate that she was killed. I am here to pay respects, and be on my way." He watched the stunned face of the miko. It was almost staggering to think that she still lived. He had been so sure that she was a mere mortal, but no mortal could survive the centuries without aging but a little. He took a moment to look over her, following her neatly pinned hair to her slender throat and down to the swell of her breasts and flat stomach. Her hips flared nicely beneath the fitted black skirt. Her body had matured, and he found her even more appealing than the last time they met on the battlefield.

He remembered the time well. She followed his baka half brother like a lovesick pup. At first he found it disgraceful that his brother would choose to associate with a human wench, but as time went on he found that she was more than he first realized. She was strong, and unusually brave in the face of an enemy. Even himself. The finale battle against Naraku put her facing off against the monster, while he and Inuyasha sliced away at innumerable tentacles striking out at them all.

The miko stepped up with her flaming hamaya. When she released it, he was sure that she put every ounce of her purity into it. The blaze was tremendous and struck Naraku square in the center of his back where the spider scar lay. At the center of that scar lay his true heart, and that is what destroyed Naraku.

He then stood by and watched as she and the undead priestess clasped the various Shikon shards between them. A brilliant pink light blinded them all, fusing the jewel together, and when they stood the jewel was gone. He knew, however, that it was not truly gone. It was simply returned to where it belonged. Within the body of its protector. Perhaps the jewel was the reason for her extended life? At any rate, the strangest thing happened then. A powerful magic swept into the battle field and surrounded the girl. She cried out, reaching for Inuyasha, but in the blink of an eye she was gone. He never knew what had happened to her after that, and really did not care.

Kagome could hardly believe her eyes... or her senses. Inuyasha's full brother, Lord Sesshomaru, was standing in front of her. Here, in her world, in her time. Gone was his extremely long hair, and facial markings. She couldn't see his eyes behind the sunglasses, and she wondered if they were still as cold as they used to be. Beautiful golden eyes, but so very cold. It sent a chill up her spine.

Sesshomaru watched her reaction to his presence. He could tell that she was shaken, and he would have expected no differently, since he did try to kill her once or twice. Kagome looked up at him, opening her mouth to speak, but suddenly she stilled and looked around with jerky frantic motions. He too sensed it. Danger. Someone or something was stalking them.

Juria could hardly believe her eyes. She had followed the suspected miko to a funeral where she hoped to be able to get close enough to assess her aura. Her excitement was at a peak when the suspect walked away from the crowd and her detector reached over and patted her arm repeatedly. The Spook, or lesser youkai, in the service of Matsuno-sama were incapable of speech, but was able to read the aura of a miko enough to indicate a likely candidate for the project. He kept three such creatures in his employ, offering security and housing in exchange for their cooperation. Of course, they really had no choice in the matter, because their pathetic lives would be forfeit if they refused to assist in the search.

Matsuno-sama was a high ranking general in the Japanese military, and there he gained access to top secret files about creatures known as youkai. He discovered that youkai were not mere myth and legend, but actually existed. Their numbers were almost obsolete today, but a plan was born that day, and Matsuno Hotaka dedicated his life to tracking down any living youkai. It was not an easy task to uncover the mystical creatures, and more often than not, they were of very low intellect and abilities.

It only took finding one who could actually speak, to get leads to others who could speak. One find after another, the strengths grew little by little, but until her capture of Shuusaku Taisho, none were strong enough for their purposes. Thinking of Taisho made her frown bitterly. They had deeply underestimated the strength of that youkai. No one expected him to have the ability to melt a concrete wall. That mistake cost them the specimen. Fortunately the good doctor had already taken the many samples needed to fulfill their needs, but it would have been prudent to keep him in captivity for further research.

Now they would likely be forced to kill the youkai. His escape put their plans for a better future on the line. He knew of their whereabouts and somewhat of their activities. He would have to be disposed of.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the miko veered away from the car toward a lone man standing beneath a tree. Her eyes narrowed when she focused on him, and the Spook chose that moment to grow anxious and frantic. It pointed toward the man and made a few grunting sounds.

As luck would have it, following the miko had led them to their missing youkai.

Very interesting. Juria considered it a sign. That miko had to be someone important for that youkai to know her and her to know him. She made a motion to the soldiers in the back of the van. Four men waited instruction. "Corporal, no harm is to come to the miko. We need her alive. Kill the youkai!"

Those orders were heard by Sesshomaru. The same wench that captured him! Her voice carried over the cemetery right into his youkai ears. He wasted no time.

Kagome squealed when she was jerked up roughly. Before she could protest she was a mile away from the cemetery. Sesshomaru had just kidnapped her in broad daylight! When he stopped in a deserted ally he released her, and she turned on him angrily. "Listen here you jerk, I don't care who you are, you can't just..."

He cut her off with a growl. "Miko, you know nothing. There are things at work here that you are, as of yet, unaware."

Kagome tried to calm her temper, and said, "Well why don't you fill me in, because I've had a really rough week and I am not in the mood for your brand of fun!"

Sesshomaru fought the urge to clamp his hand around her slender fragile throat. Nothing had changed much with this miko since their last meeting five hundred years ago. She was as insolent as ever. He narrowed his eyes on her, watching as she snatched her shades from her face, revealing her angry flashing blue eyes. They were a bit swollen and red from shedding tears for Eri, but they were still as stunning as the day he first laid eyes on them.

He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slow and calming before saying, "Not here. We will speak someplace less... grotesque."

Kagome looked around at the garbage-laden alley full of smelly things and flying insects. "Agreed," she quipped. He then pulled her against him and leapt to the roof of the building.

She felt her stomach drop when they left the ground. She had forgotten what it felt like to leap through the air effortlessly, although she had to admit that it was a lot different with Sesshomaru than with Inuyasha. She could not help feeling afraid. She was putting her trust in someone who tried to kill her several years ago. Soon they landed in a deserted area of a nearby park.

Sesshomaru wasted no time in speaking. "There is a plot unfolding around us, miko. One that involves me, and obviously, one that involves you."

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the first three chapters of 'Madman'. There are plenty more to come. I know that I promised a sequel to 'The Unknown Warrior' and I am working on it, but this story just shoved its way out and forced my attention. Let me know what you think by rating and reviewing. And no, I have not forgotten about 'As Death Gives Life'. Expect the last chapter really soon! Thanks

http/ 


	4. Chapter 4 – Connections

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 4 – Connections**

Yuka dabbed the tears with handkerchief and glanced beside her to find Ayumi doing the same. It was so terrible. Too horrible to even imagine. Eri never deserved this. No one deserved this. It was frightening to think that the world could be such a cold and callous place. A place where a girls life meant nothing. It could have been any one of them. It could have been her, lying there in that coffin, with her mother sobbing uncontrollably. Poor Eri.

Movement caught her eye and Yuka noticed that Kagome had slipped away from the crowd of mourners. Kagome was not taking the death of Eri well at all. None of them were. Kagome, however, was the last to speak with her. Eri was supposed to have lunch with her and never showed up, because she was dead. It was not Kagome's fault, and there was nothing that she could have done differently to save their friend, but it was just Kagome's nature to take the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Yuka was about to turn her attention back to the ceremony when she noticed the man. A tall man wearing a long black coat, hat and dark glasses. That was not unusual, considering they were at a funeral. It was odd, however that he remained so far away from them all. If he was here for the funeral then why not join them? Stranger still, was that Kagome was now walking toward the man. Yuka lightly elbowed Ayumi who looked at her in confusion. She made a motion toward Kagome and the stranger causing Ayumi to look around to see what it was that Yuka found so interesting in the middle of Eri's funeral.

"What is she doing?" Ayumi whispered to her friend. "Who is that guy she's talking to?" Yuka shook her head with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Suddenly all hell broke loose. The most unimaginable thing happened right before their eyes. The man, who had been speaking calmly with Kagome, looked up and Kagome then began glancing around in a weird way. Something was said, and then to their utter horror, the man grabbed Kagome and began to run! Yuka blinked, thinking... hoping... that she was seeing things, but when she opened her eyes, they were gone.

"KAGOME!"

All those in attendance of the funeral looked around, wondering what in the world made Yuka and Ayumi scream out during the middle of the priest's sermon. The two women began running away from the cemetery plot screaming Kagome's name, but Kagome was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly a van sitting in an adjacent parking lane spun out, driving away fast. Kagome's brother, Souta, startled them both when he grabbed Ayumi and spun her around. In a frantic voice he demanded, "Tell me what happened! Where's Kagome!"

"He took her! The man that she was talking to, he grabbed her and ran!" Ayumi cried. Yuka wrapped her arms around Ayumi as soon as Souta released her. They both watched as the young man took off in the direction of the fleeing van. That had to be where the man took Kagome. He disappeared too quickly. He must have thrown her in the van and was trying to escape. Yuka turned around frantically and yelled, "Someone call the police! Kagome has been kidnapped!"

Souta ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to reach that van before it hit the main road. He had to save his sister from this lunatic! He raced over the cemetery, leaping over stone markings and tearing up neatly cut green grass. He ran so hard that he felt his lungs would burst from his chest. The van was speeding around a corner, and if he could just make it over the next hill he could possibly catch the vehicle tag number before he lost hope completely.

He maneuvered a tomb and skirted a freshly dug plot when he finally got close enough to make out the numbers, only, there were none. There were no markings at all. It was just a gray van, nothing more. He could not even see who was driving because the windows were dark. "Damn!" he cursed in frustration as his last chance slipped away. The van turned one last corner and was through the main entrance and heading away at break-neck speed. "KAGOME!" he yelled loudly as he fell to his knee's.

She was gone.

* * *

Kagome listened to the long feared taiyoukai, speaking to her as if she were always an ally, telling her horrible and unbelievable things. Things that pointed toward murder and intrigue. Things that she did not at all want in her life any more. Gods! Was her ordeal in the feudal era not enough? Did her heart not suffer enough? Was there some big sign on her forehead that said 'Kagome: Chosen to forever be in mortal peril?'

As if it were not bad enough to find herself in this predicament, she had to be in it with Sesshomaru. Mr. Smiles and Happiness. Inuyasha would have a coronary just knowing that she was standing here talking to him. The guy that tried to kill them both numerous times. The one who used the un-mother to trick Inuyasha into believing it was his real mother brought back from the dead. The jerk who tried to steal the Tetsusaiga over and over. The guy had very few pluses that she could think of. Even when he was doing something charitable he adamantly denied it. This youkai was the bane of Inuyasha's existence. Inuyasha, who was her...

Kagome blinked away those thoughts. It was hard for her to define what Inuyasha was to her. He was many things, and their relationship grew and changed with the sands of time. It wouldn't do to go all blubbery on Sesshomaru. She seriously doubted that he would appreciate it, especially while he was being so serious. Of course, he was always serious, so that was nothing new.

It was rather overwhelming to see how much Sesshomaru had changed, and yet, somehow stayed the same. Time had obviously pressed down on the taiyoukai forcing him to blend in with human society in order to survive. For some reason she never figured him to live beyond the era of swords and magic. He seemed too proud to bend to human ways. Yet still, here he was, right in front of her, wearing black slacks and a very sexy calf-length leather coat of the same color. The shades and hat only served to complete the ensemble giving him a whole new appeal. Did this guy ever have an off day?

Behind it all though, he was still a dangerous demon lord. One that had actually survived the ages. It truly spoke of his power and his willingness to survive in style. He was, after all, the owner of a world renowned arms manufacturer. The field was not so much a surprise, but the fact that the feared demon Lord Sesshomaru actually did paperwork was a bit unsettling. Almost as unsettling as what just popped into her head when he said a very familiar word.

"Wait, wait... did you just say miko's?"

Sesshomaru drew in a breath of calming air filled with the putrefying air pollutants of this modern world. He tried to calm the sudden urge to snap the little twit's neck in two. It was highly obvious that she was not paying much attention to what he was saying, and that was something that he was unused to. When he talked, people listened, especially since he did not choose to talk very often. Yet he found himself actually standing with his late half-brother's silly wench from five hundred years past, relaying to her the details of a strange new event as if she were some sort of trusted associate. What the hell was he thinking?

With a sigh that was just barely audible to the inferior functioning of human ears, Sesshomaru stepped away from the mortal and said, "It is obvious that I am wasting my time with you miko. At any rate, it is unlikely that you would be of any assistance in dealing with this new threat, so I shall be on my way."

The sudden burst of anger that the miko was so well remembered for, suddenly rose to the surface, blocking her good common sense and flushing her face with a pretty rose hue. Kagome was struck with the overwhelming need to make it very clear to _Lord_Sesshomaru that she would not stand for his insults, since the way that he just spoke to her was clearly meant to be insulting.

She took three steps forward, just enough to thoroughly invade his personal space, and placed one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at him with the other. Her thin sculptured brows were narrowed with a spark of temper and her dark blue eyes flashed with indignation. "Listen here buddy, this isn't the feudal era, so you can drop the high and mighty act with me! I apologize if I'm a little distracted, but my best friend was just murdered! A guy who tried to melt me into a gooey puddle five years ago shows up and snatches me away from her funeral, and now your telling me that there is a conspiracy to kill miko's and kidnap taiyoukai! Excuse me, if I'm a little out of it!"

He narrowed his golden eyes on the girl and thoroughly weighed his options. Killing her would be so easy. His fingertips simply itched with the urge to slice through her flesh. On the other hand, if he was right, and he normally was, this new enemy was plotting something big. Something that exposed himself as a youkai and something that merited the slaughter of several low-level miko's. It was clearly obvious, from the woman in the van, that the enemy was now seeking this miko. That of course could be used to his advantage. The best bait was always used to catch the biggest fish, and as much as he hated to admit it, this woman was the best bait around. Her miko powers went far beyond anything that he had crossed in three centuries, possibly more.

What could the nameless enemy want with a miko and a youkai? Why does he seek to capture them? Why do they seek the miko's out, going through the trouble of kidnapping, only to kill them soon after? These questions and more stayed his hand. His bait was too important to sacrifice to the Dakkasou on this day.

Kagome had the eeriest sensation of having just narrowly avoided death. It sent a shiver up her spine and opened the floodgates to that wave of common sense that had abandoned her during her fit of anger. She quickly lowered her hand, looking a little embarrassed, and stepped away from the tall man who was not a man, but a killing machine in a pretty package. She looked away from those angry golden eyes and focused on the grass beneath her feet, finding it extremely interesting all of a sudden.

Sesshomaru could see that she now realized her precarious position and the knowledge that she regretted her hasty actions settled his need to strangle the life from her. She was always such a wild card, even in the feudal era. 'Wait...' did she say, that he tried to melt her only five years ago? Was she mentally unstable? That had occurred at least five hundred years ago, if not more. Perhaps in her anger and grief she simply made an error? Most likely that was the case, otherwise there was much more to this miko than he first realized.

Kagome finally looked up. She could actually feel his temper easing away, and sent up a prayer of thanks for her good fortune. "Can we start again, please? I... apologize for my outburst. I guess this whole thing is really stressing me out." He regarded her, as if trying to determine her sincerity, and then he nodded curtly. She sighed and turned away to stare up at the sky littered not with endless blue, but with tall looming structures of glass and steel.

"So you think the other girls who have been turning up are miko's?" Kagome whispered in question.

"It is my assumption, yes. I was not completely sure until the cemetery incident." He watched her. Her sadness polluted her normally pleasant scent, which still lingered faintly about her person. That smell of despair was not something that he found pleasant. He much preferred her temper to this sudden bleak heaviness settling around her. "The woman in the van was the same one who shot my driver and delivered me to the facility where I was held briefly. Just before we left, I clearly heard her ordering her men to 'take the miko alive'."

"How did you escape? From the place they held you, I mean." Kagome saw the tell-tell clenching of his jaw. A clear sign that the ordeal had angered him greatly.

"It is not so easy to hold this Sesshomaru," he snapped.

Kagome allowed a half hearted laugh at that and said, "No doubt", as she turned away from him to once more stare at the tall buildings touching the sky around them. "Why do you think the girls that have been turning up dead are all miko's? Eri wasn't a miko."

"Had you been paying attention, wench, you would have heard me sooner. Eri was killed in order to get to me. It has been revealed to me that the other dead human females were all miko's of varying degree's of power; weak power at that. An... acquaintance of mine has been watching the rash of disappearing women around the city and beyond. She felt the passing of their souls and was surprised to find that each one held the taint of miko power."

"Humph. Only you would consider it a 'taint'," Kagome grumbled. Her comment was ignored by Sesshomaru, and Kagome began thinking about the possible connections to the lot of them. If the girls were all miko's that would explain why the police have not made the connection. In this day and age youkai were not a threat to humankind so the purification powers lay dormant and untapped. The only reason that hers was active was because she fell into the well and into a world filled with youkai. Each year that she was there only served to build her powers and make them stronger.

Kagome was thinking about contacting the police, and warning them of the miko connection. It could save lives if they figured out a way to use that information to track down the killer, but her thoughts were interrupted when the deep beating thrum of a low flying helicopter was heard. She looked at Sesshomaru, or Shuusaku, as everyone knew him now, and found him glaring toward the sound with great interest.

"Is... is it them?" Kagome asked softly and with worry evident in her voice. Could they have found them this quickly? How? It was almost inconceivable to think that they could track them in this vast city, full of millions of people, with such quick efficiency.

"It may very well be. I have my suspicions that they have drafted the aid of one or more Trackers."

"Trackers?" Kagome asked curiously. Sesshomaru glanced at her for just a brief second then returned his attention to the approaching aircraft. "Hai. Trackers are a lower form of youkai. They do not have speech capabilities, but do have a heightened sense of smell unlike that of any other creature. They can detect a spiritual aura just as easily as a youkai aura. I had thought them extinct, but I am fast beginning to believe otherwise."

Dear Kami above. If what he said is true there will be no place safe for them. The enemy can hunt them down anywhere. Suddenly the reality of being hunted settled on her mind and it scared the life out of her. She had not been hunted since leaving the feudal era behind. This world,_her time_, was always thought of a safe. A place where the threat of youkai and their magical abilities could not touch her. Before this, there was nothing here in modern Japan to worry about except the usual muggings and car accidents. Now, after her life was finally becoming somewhat normal, she discovers that youkai exist and once again she is hunted.

The loud whir of the helicopter became clearer, and the beat of the giant blade sounded eerily like that of some prehistoric beast, as the thing came into view. Shuusaku was the first to react. Where Kagome was limited to her human eyesight, he was able to see the details of the craft. Military markings clearly adorned the dark green machine. It was armed with guns mounted to the sides and the large glass window gave him a view of the occupants. One male pilot, the woman known to him as 'Suki', and... a Tracker.

Without a word of warning he snatched up the miko and took off at a blurring run.

* * *

Souta sat next to his mother on the couch. He held his arm around her shoulders, but knew that his efforts to comfort her were in vain. The detective sitting in the chair by the end-table was questioning them again. He had long ago lost count of how many times they had repeated this story. The first time was at the cemetery, where it all occurred, then at the police station, and now here. This detective was supposed to be an expert on the case of missing and murdered girls found recently in Tokyo. That knowledge hit Souta's gut a little harder than he wanted to admit.

He introduced himself as Detective Kobayashi Naoaki, and he seemed genuinely concerned for Kagome, which helped just a little. The other officers seemed to be distracted and standoffish, like they did not wish to become emotionally involved. This man, however, clearly seemed concerned for Kagome's welfare, but the reason that he did was enough to scare Souta to death.

Detective Kobayashi finished jotting down the last moments that the victim was spotted alive. He had already read the reports from the main office, but Naoaki liked to take a statement of his own, finding that the witnesses sometimes revealed things to him that were not noticed in the beginning. By the time he was sent out to speak with them they had calmed just a fraction. This fact, combined with his own personal touch, sometimes brought things to the surface that were not noticed at first.

The many years that he had been with the force did nothing to ease the true compassion that he felt when facing the family of a victim. This case in particular sent a stab of sorrow through his chest, because as much as he wished it were not true, he was seriously beginning to suspect that the kidnapping of Higurashi Kagome was related to the recent rash of murders in Tokyo. The description of the vehicle used for the abduction was much too similar to ignore and her relation to one deceased Wannabe Eri, made it even more so. God he hoped that he was wrong, because if he wasn't, then every second that passed by could mean the death of this pretty young woman whose photograph he held in his hand.

Her mother was extremely upset, and her grandfather had actually been given a sedative to calm down. The brother seemed to be the strength of the family right now, even at his young age. Oh, he was obviously upset and shaken as well, but it was clear that he had his wits about him, which was very helpful.

He stood up and bowed politely, thanking the family of Miss Higurashi, before taking his leave. As he was passing through the door of their home, Maya Higurashi stopped him with one last plea.

"Detective, please, you have to find my Kagome. She has been through so much in these past years. She is a good girl and a very powerful priestess. She has a light in her that this world needs. I beg you, find her and bring her home to me safe and sound."

Naoaki gave her a sad sort of smile and said, "I will do my best Higurashi-san."

"Thank you," Maya whispered with tears in her soft voice.

He walked out to his car with much on his mind. Something the lady said had struck him a blow. Kagome was a miko at this shrine. If he was not mistaken, and he knew that he was not, one of the other girls had come from a family who owned a shrine. That girl's parents too had called her a priestess. Coincidence? Maybe.

So far he had five dead girls, not including Eri Wannabe, who was tagged as a possible victim in this same case. All five of the young women were kidnapped, missing for an average of two days, and then were found dumped somewhere with their throat cut. The difference between them and Eri was that she was murdered where she was found, and there were no other marks on the body. The other five had small puncture wounds on their temples as well as bruising around the wrists and legs, indicative of being strapped down. What the puncture wounds in the temples meant, he had no idea yet.

Just the fact that Eri Wannabe was related through a close friendship with Kagome Higurashi lent fuel to the idea that the murders were all related. The autopsy report on Eri verified that the blade used to cut her throat had a ninety- percent chance of being the same weapon used to kill the other women. The angle and length of the cut were extremely similar. The only thing missing on Eri was the puncture wounds and bruises.

What really turned this investigation into a free-for-all, was the fact that Eri's employer, Shuusaku Taisho, was believed to be kidnapped as well. Two days after her body was recovered, they found a man dead with a bullet to his head just a few miles from the building owned by Shuusaku Taisho, of Taisho Arms, Inc. Upon further investigation it was determined that he was the personal driver of Taisho-sama. A few hours after the body was recovered they found his abandoned black limo parked alongside a stretch of deserted road five miles outside of the city limits. The driver's blood was found on the interior door and on the exterior door as well, but no signs of Taisho-sama, or his female associate, were discovered.

Taisho's temporary secretary was the only real lead in the case. A woman that was first suspected as a victim, became a suspect when deeper investigation revealed that she simply didn't exist. Her paperwork and contact information was all bogus, leading to dead ends. It stunk of deception. He was able to obtain a very thorough description of the woman from office employees, and currently had an artist working on a sketch. If they could find that woman, then they could possibly find the one's responsible for this whole thing.

Could the kidnapping of Shuusaku Taisho be related to the deaths of the five young women? As much as he hated to believe it, it looked as if it were true. The uncanny murder of his secretary, Eri Wannabe, would have opened the door for a person to be planted in the company to get close enough to Taisho to take him out. It just so happened that the person who off'd Eri Wannabe was possibly the same person who off'd five other innocent women.

What then, was the connection to Shuusaku Taisho and five, possibly six, murdered young women with puncture wounds in their temples? He had a feeling that if he could answer that then he could bust this case wide open.

With a frustrated sigh, Naoaki snapped his seatbelt in place and started his car. He then picked up his notebook and jotted down his theory. His next stop would be the shrine of victim number two, a twenty-two year old by the name Kajima Chihoko. If the fact that Kagome and Chihoko were both miko's had anything to do with this case he needed to know. Then he wanted to schedule a visit to Taisho Shuusaku's home. Perhaps there he would find some sort of connection between the missing girls and the missing businessman. Every minute counted in this case. If Kagome were indeed taken by the same bastards who took the others, then she would turn up dead in two days time.

* * *

A/N: I hope that you all are enjoying Madman so far. If you are reading this from A Single Spark, I would appreciate it if you would shoot me an email telling me how you like it since the review system is not working properly. My email address is 


	5. Chapter 5 – Angry Eyes

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 5 – Angry Eyes**

A/N: I just wanted to thank all of you reading and reviewing 'Madman'. Your inspiring words have done wonders for my ego! Also thank you so much to everyone who has nominated 'Madman', as well as my other fics, for _A Single Spark's_ annual awards! I love you all! You are the greatest!

* * *

She could not believe this was happening to her. Five years ago she fell into a well and it changed her life beyond anything imaginable. Three years ago she left the feudal era behind to start new again. Today it seemed that she had come full circle. Right back where she started five years ago, facing old enemies. 

She stared at the ghostly woman of white standing in front of her. She was small, even shorter than herself, but obviously fully mature. Her hair, the color of fresh fallen snow, hung low on her back, cut severely level just above the swell of her bottom. Her face was delicate and pretty, housing black eyes that held the secret to the void. There was darkness in those eyes that spoke of horrors unimaginable, but portrayed as simple nothingness.

Kagome sucked in a breath of air, forcing her eyes away from those bleak bottomless pits, realizing with a flash of panic how close she had come to falling into that empty abyss. She felt the flesh over her entire body crawl with goosebumps when she noticed what the youkai held in her tiny hands.

A mirror.

Kagome took a shaky step back, but stopped when a strong, firm, hand reached out to press against her back. She looked sharply to the one who sought to stop her escape, and found Sesshomaru staring at her. His eyes clearly stated his silent command.

Stand strong.

Kagome could hear her own breath coming shaky and fast, leaving her, as the initial panic eased just slightly away. The taiyoukai was expecting her to face this old enemy and show no weakness. Kagome mentally grasped that limitless strength of his, using it as a lifeline. She allowed him to guide her back to the here and now, then slowly turned her midnight blue eyes back to her ancient enemy standing at her door quietly waiting for them to enter her lair.

With a hard gulp, Kagome forced herself to nod and speak, "Konnichiwa, Kanna."

"Miko Kagome."

Her voice was as empty as the rest of her. Kagome could not imagine what it would be like to be Kanna. She was just so... spooky.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Kanna bowed just slightly then turned and began the ascent into the bowls of her home. Kagome felt another spark of panic, realizing that they were meant to follow her. Suddenly Sesshomaru leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Your terror is spoiling the air, miko."

Those softly spoken words served to send her current state of fear into a spiraling maelstrom of biting fury. 'How dare this asshole show up, practically kidnap me, and then drag me here, to the house of Naraku's favorite incarnation! One who, just five years ago, sucked most of my soul right out of my body!'

Satisfied with the sudden retreat of her sour fear, Sesshomaru found her anger to be a tease to his senses. The spicy scent now permeated the air around him and brought the tiny hairs on the back of his smooth neck to stand up on end. Her power practically sizzled next to his skin and he found that the sensation was not wholly unpleasant. Her temper sparked his baser instincts, pressing upon him the sudden need to insure his dominance.

Kagome then hissed the first thing that came to mind. "You are such a jerk!"

It had been a long time since _anyone_ dared to openly posture against him. It was something that surprised him in the sense that his body had long forgotten these strange sensations. It was also a dangerous game for the miko to play. He was unused to being challenged in such a way. Those who crossed his path were quick to submit and stand down. No one was fool enough to blatantly show their anger and rebellion against him.

Yet she would.

It almost curled his lip, but just as the smooth corner contour twitched to life he quickly pulled that smirk into a snarl of warning. "Remember to whom you speak, miko."

She could see the wall of flame spark his cool unearthly eyes when he growled his words. Kagome weighed the benefits of releasing a bit more of her anger on the pushy demon, but some deep-rooted instinct to preserve her life clamped her mouth tightly shut instead. He pulled his smooth, perfectly sculpted face away from her own and stood to his full towering height. He then placed a clawed hand firmly on her shoulder and gave a little push.

Kagome stepped over the threshold and into the creepiest hallway that she had ever seen... or felt. Mirrors were everywhere. Every inch of wall on either side of the green painted hallway was adorned by a multitude of mirrors. There were rectangular mirrors, and circular mirrors, square mirrors and oval mirrors. There was small ones and large ones. Some had brass frames, some wood, some gold and some silver. Some were obviously very old, while some looked vaguely new. As she walked down the long corridor, Kagome stared into the dozens of reflections of her own image and blinked at the frightened look in her blue eyes.

She could feel them.

The souls.

The many souls haunting those mirrors. She could feel the caress of them against her skin and felt their flutter as she passed.

There were several tables along the walls, all neatly placed, and home to dozens of flickering candles colored in both black and white. The wavering flames cast dancing shadows on the walls giving the mirrors life and making Kagome shiver. Ahead Kanna seemed to float along and Kagome followed her form while standing just a little too close to Sesshomaru. She knew that he probably wanted to shove her away, but at the moment she really couldn't care less. He dragged her in here, so he was just going to have to deal with it.

At the end of the hallway Kanna turned to a pair of double doors on the left. They slid open completely by themselves, and Kanna went inside. Kagome stopped briefly to take in the room, which was also eerily decorated in an array of mirrors. The room was a fairly large sitting room, and Kanna motioned for her to be seated.

Kagome almost declined the invitation, preferring to stand in case her legs decided to flee, but another firm nudge from behind pushed the errant thought away. Kagome took a seat, slowly lowering herself onto the settee, but keeping her body tense and ready to take flight. Kanna then lowered herself onto a large white cushion lying on the polished wooden floor directly across from her. Sesshomaru took up a place just beside of Kagome right before a woman entered the room with a teapot and several delicate, intricately painted, cups.

Kagome remained silent as the larger woman, hanyou if she was not mistaken, poured first Sesshomaru's tea and then her own before scurrying out of the room again.

Kanna turned her empty eyes on the taiyoukai and said, "You have found her."

Sesshomaru gave a light snort of air and replied, "Unintentionally."

"She is important to them." Kanna's monotone voice stated.

"Do you know who 'they' are?" Sesshomaru asked with narrowed eyes.

"I do not," she answered.

His baritone voice echoed in the otherwise empty room. "We need a place to stay, until I can determine our best course of action." Sesshomaru wondered how far the nihility youkai before him was willing to bend for his cause.

"You are welcome to house yourself in any one of my homes. I have a flat near the Sumida river, a home on Ogasawara Island and a cabin seventy-eight miles into the wilderness beyond the southern city limits."

Kagome could hardly believe her ears. It was all so surreal. She was sitting here, in this room of mirrors, with Sesshomaru and Kanna, who was offering the use of her flat near the Sumida River. Kagome's insanely grasped onto this most frivolous topic, prompting her mouth to move of its own accord when she uttered, "You need four homes?"

Kanna turned her blank gaze to Kagome and said, "Actually, I own several others. I have, through the centuries, found that it can be beneficial in evading an enemy. Master Naraku taught his lessons well."

His name hung on the air like a thick ugly cloud. That name, Kagome decided, was not meant to be spoken aloud. It was a name that should never pass beyond the lips of another. A cursed name that spoke of an ancient evil, which still ran rampant in her darkest nightmares.

Sesshomaru could hear the skip of the miko's heartbeat when Kanna mentioned Naraku. He had to admit that even now, five hundred years later, Naraku's name still curdled his blood. It was one of the reasons that he chose not to come here unless the matter became absolutely unavoidable. Kanna was a strict reminder of that old enemy whose life he sought so many years ago. Even her walls were adorned with the souls of those who unfortunately crossed Naraku's path.

She was, however, freed of Naraku's control at the time of his death. A death that was due to an attack from his half-brother's miko. With Kagome's disappearance, Kanna's loyalty passed to Inuyasha, though the whelp never called upon her talents, instead threatening the nihility youkai with harm should she come within his presence after that victorious day. So with Inuyasha's death, the debt was passed to himself, and Sesshomaru never relinquished an opportunity to profit from power. Despite her distasteful origins, Kanna was a powerful demoness who could strike terror into an enemy with only one look.

Not many youkai, or men, would stand against an enemy with the ability to suck ones soul from their body. It was a frightening prospect to most. One that Sesshomaru would delightfully exploit if necessary. Right now, however, he simply needed to find a place to stay for a couple of days until he could come up with a plan. Someplace that would give them shelter for a short time until the Tracker managed to locate them once more.

"The cabin will be adequate," Sesshomaru said, and Kanna nodded in acceptance. She reached down and picked up a small silver bell, ringing it twice. The 'tink' of the chime brought the servant wench running to do her bidding. Kanna gave orders for the woman to bring the keys, as well as a few other items, one of which he was sure contained the cash that he requested the day before.

When the woman returned she was carrying a suitcase and bag, as well as a ring of keys. She placed the case down and handed Sesshomaru the bag before pulling an envelope from her kimono. The envelope was passed to him, along with the keys, and Sesshomaru nodded his thanks to Kanna.

Kagome wondered briefly what it was in the bags, but did not dare ask. Prolonged conversation in this place was something that she wished to avoid. All she wanted to do was get out of this house as fast as possible.

When Sesshomaru moved toward the door, Kagome stood to follow. As she did, she met Kanna's eyes briefly, and gave a curt nod of thanks and a tiny forced smile. Kanna made no move to acknowledge the gesture, but it didn't hurt her feelings none in the least. As a matter of fact, Kagome seriously doubted her ability to do so. Her face would probably break if she ever tried to crack a smile.

Suddenly, softly spoken words stopped Kagome in her tracks.

"Is it not amusing, priestess, how time repeats itself? Once more, the fate of us all lies in your hands."

Kagome never turned back to look at the ghostly void-youkai. Instead she huffed, and replied, "Yeah. A real hoot."

Kanna said nothing more as the priestess, Kagome, left the room. She only watched her figure moving behind that of the taiyoukai. She had no doubts in her meticulously calculating mind that the young woman would see this new challenge through.

As the miko's presence became removed, Kanna's unnaturally pale flesh tingled with sensations long forgotten and most unwelcome. She knew that there was nothing in the entire world that could make her body feel such intense _craving_.

The Shikon no Tama.

* * *

"Can't we just take a cab?" Kagome argued, when Sesshomaru turned and held out an arm toward her. Her answer was an icy glare and silence. Kagome grumbled about public transportation and flying taiyoukai's as she stepped up close the Sesshomaru. His long arm riddled with hard lean muscle folded around her and she felt the force of his yoki surround them both. A flash of blinding blue light enveloped the two of them and then they were flying at supernatural speeds over the skyline of Tokyo. 

The flying wasn't really all that bad. It was quick, and efficient, and a completely smooth ride, but the problem lay with being held so closely by Sesshomaru. He smelled... nice. His body was firm and snug against her. It was just a little to close for comfort. Despite their differences, Sesshomaru was a very handsome being, and Kagome was a warm-blooded woman. Her pulse worked just fine, and what living female would not find the gorgeous taiyoukai attractive?

It didn't mean that she had to like it.

As they traveled over the city below Kagome pondered the entirety of her situation. Her mind drifted to Sesshomaru's suspicion that the unknown enemy was killing miko's after kidnapping them. What could it mean? Could it be a youkai bent on eradicating any miko threat? That was a likely possibility, considering most youkai hated her kind. It still made no sense, though, because the miko's in this time were mostly ignorant to their purification powers. They had no training to control what little they had, and in all reality provided no threat to any youkai worth speaking of.

Apparently the ones responsible for this whole mess was not only after miko's, but youkai as well. The only difference was that the news stations were not broadcasting the body count of dead youkai around Tokyo. So were they keeping the youkai imprisoned somewhere, or was Sesshomaru the only one they tried to capture? Just the thought that these low-life's could be torturing innocents at this very minute was enough to spark her anger.

Sesshomaru looked down at the female wrapped in his left arm when he sensed the onslaught of anger, but when she actually released a temperamental growl he cocked one elegant, dark brow in surprise. He briefly wondered what sparked her temper, then returned his attention to the landscape passing below.

She was such a strange human. Even in this modern world she baffled him. In the feudal era, when they first met, he was no less confused. At that time he was mostly curious about her oddly foreign clothing, her strange use of their language, and her fearlessness in the face of imminent death. Now, these many years in the future, he found her just as odd.

Even after the passing of ages her anger over-road all sense of self-preservation. Her terror in the face of Kanna changed in the blink of an eye when her anger was incited. She completely forgot about the fear and turned on him with righteous indignation, even going so far as to call him a jerk to his face. Oh he had little doubt that he was called that, and worse, by many people on many occasions, but never, since Inuyasha's death, had anyone dared to do so to his face. She was a spitfire, this miko. One that was bound to be a thorn in his side until this was all over.

He spotted the landmarks described by Kanna and began to slow their speed. Far below the landscape was changing from thick buildings to winding roads. The green pines began to grow thick as the mountains loomed. Soon he spotted the old shrine sitting upon a jutting cliff and knew the cabin was not far ahead. He then saw the small dirt lane leading to the cabin and began their decent from the sky.

Kagome braced herself for a bone-jarring landing. Memory of Sesshomaru's blue youkai ball gauging out the earth flashed in her mind, but when their feet touched the ground it was with light agility; like a feather settling on the lawn. She figured then that maybe he just liked to make a big entrance in front of the enemy. Since there was no one here except them, he must have decided to forego the destruction.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he released her from his grasp and stepped away. Kagome then looked around at her temporary hideout. The cabin itself really wasn't anything special. It was rustic and obviously had been vacant for quite sometime. Tall dried grasses littered the front lawn, which was overgrown in vines and such. There was an old well to the far right, but it was thankfully made of stone instead of wood. That would have been a little creepy, but Kagome decided to steer clear of it just in case.

The cabin was nestled against the mountainside and almost completely blended in with the late autumn foliage. What she found truly beautiful, was the breathtaking scenery. The valley below was stunning, and well worth the lack of comfort from the journey. Kagome vowed to come spend some time out here after a bath and change of clothing.

Clothing.

Well, this was a really good time to remember that tiny detail. Kagome looked downward, glancing over her rumpled black dress-suit. This was all she brought with her to wear. 'Oh no! Of all the stupid...', she mentally cursed. With a low feminine growl of discord she turned to glare at the _reason_ why she had nothing else to wear. "Sesshomaru, did it occur to you that we came out here without any supplies? I don't even have a change of clothing with me and these shoes are killing me!"

Sesshomaru turned his head to the miko as he picked up his bags from the ground beside him. He graced her with a smirk and said, "On the contrary miko. I have brought certain necessities for myself. You, on the other hand will simply have to make do."

Her hands clenched up by her sides and her teeth ground together. Blue eyes smoldered with her show of fiery temper. "Why you selfish youkai asshole!"

With a glint of amusement in his normally cold golden eyes, Sesshomaru stood to his full height and said, "Such language is not becoming of a lady."

Sesshomaru thought himself fortunate at that moment in time, for if the female facing him could have slain him with a look, then he would surely be dead. Had he not known it to be impossible, he would have sworn that he witnessed steam rising up from her rounded ears. Her creamy skin was practically glowing red with fury, and had he been his half-brother, Inuyasha, he was sure that he would be 'sat' into a crater several meters below the rocky ground.

Instead, the miko released a suspiciously bestial growl, before turning abruptly to stomp away. He had to admit that the tiny miko's temper could rival that of any demon who had ever been alive. She was going to be a handful. With a slight shake of his sculptured face, he turned back to the cabin and the task of moving his things inside.

* * *

"General Matsuno! I have a suspicious object on the radar!" 

Hotaka put down the folder in his hands and quickly stood. He moved from behind his desk and left his office to enter the central command room. All around him were flashing screens and bleeping sounds. Several military technicians manned the various pieces of quality equipment, but only Sargent Lee Riichi was standing.

He made his way to Sargent Lee, who stood in attention by his station. Hotaka greeted him with a motion of hand and gave the order to proceed as soon as his lovely and talented assistant, Juria, joined them.

Lee turned to the radar and hit the replay feature, then used a small pointer to indicate the bleep on the screen that had drawn suspicion. It was a small green dot moving on the topographic radar indicator. Several other blinking dots were scattered around the circular screen as well, but this particular mark was not accompanied by a numerical reading by its side.

The dot moved fast across the screen, flying straight, until the flashing dot became faint, soon disappearing completely. Hotaka narrowed his dark brown eyes and frowned. Whatever it was, it was moving at an impressive speed. It was proven that the youkai, Taisho Shuusaku, held it in his power to take flight. It was highly possible that this unmarked object could very well be the youkai that had so easily escaped his grasp.

He looked up from the screen, breaking his deep thoughts, and barked his demand for a printout of possible locations for the mystery object to have landed. Hotaka then turned and went back to his office with Juria following close behind He stopped at the door and waited for her to enter, before slamming it closed behind her.

He then went around to his swiveling leather chair and stood just in front of it. Juria stood straight and rigid in front of him. Her posture was all business, because she knew what was coming.

"I am most displeased with the hunt thus far, Juria! It is your failure that has brought this threat to my door. The youkai is a risk to the entire operation! The future of the world depends on his elimination!" The General slammed his fist down hard on his desktop. The sound of it echoed sharply inside the small room.

Juria flinched slightly from the volatile display, knowing the extent of his temper. She figured that she had a fifty-fifty chance of escaping this confrontation unscathed. 'Damn!' she mentally cursed her failed attempt to capture the miko. At least if she had the miko in her hands, his anger at losing the youkai would have been lessened.

The freak had been too quick for her. That was her only excuse. It was the damndest thing that she had ever seen. He moved with the speed of light and sensed their approach before steps could be taken to apprehend him.

What really pissed her off was that the bastard had grabbed the fucking miko during his escape. Now she could be anywhere! The youkai could have even killed her by now, if he had any ideas about the nature of their plans. It was what she would do in his position.

If the girl was alive, she could still be with him, or, he could have stashed her somewhere thinking her safe for the time being. Numerous possibilities existed, and all of them would have to be considered. This new development on the radar could be the break that she was looking for. "You have my apologies, Sir! I will not fail you again!" The confidence in her submissive voice seemed to appease her handsome, intelligent lover, and Juria swallowed a sigh of relief.

Hotaka nodded at his most trusted soldier. "I will expect you and your team to follow up on the results from the radar tracking system. I want all three Trackers searching for signs of the youkai and more importantly, the miko. When you find them, kill the youkai immediately. Bring the miko to me."

Juria bowed her understanding. "Hai, my General!"

Hotaka physically released the tension pulsing through his body with an intake and slow exhale of breath. He then took a seat in his big executive chair and leaned back with a broad smile. He reached down and began unbuckling his pants. "Now, my beautiful Juria, for your punishment." He pulled the zipper down and reached in to grasp onto his flaccid length. With a wriggle of his lean hips he pulled it out of his pants and squeezed. "Come Juria. Get on your knees and suck my cock."

Juria licked her full lips in response and moved around the desk to do just that.

Sometimes, punishment is pure pleasure.

* * *

A/N2: I have some great stuff planned ahead for 'Madman', so keep watching for updates! Let me know how you like it. 

I also want to announce that _TheHentaiHarlots_ will soon be posting **The House of Lemons** on MediaMiner, so please check for us there for some lemony fun! SilentDeath has written a new fetish one-shot that is guaranteed to make you blush! We will be posting chapter by chapter over the next several days until we get all of it loaded, so please be patient with us. Thanks and see you there!


	6. Chapter 6 – Cabin Cleaning

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 6 – Cabin Cleaning**

A/N: To Everyone: Thanks for your great support of 'Madman'! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it being nominated for A Single Spark's annual awards. It's really an honor to have such devoted fans.

* * *

The cabin was somewhat quaint. Not at all in keeping with Kanna's normal habits. It would seem that the next few days here were going to be kept in close quarters to the human. Not a pleasant thought, considering the temper she was currently in. Sesshomaru felt the urge to growl in frustration over the unsavory course his life has recently steered. Just days ago he was playing a round of golf at the country club. Now he finds himself being hunted and saddled with Inuyasha's wench. Things were not proceeding in a positive manner. 

Surprised, Sesshomaru felt a small score of relief when the light switch actually worked. Kanna must keep the power on in case of any unexpected arrivals. The strange demoness was a bit overly paranoid, but not too much, considering she was a spawn of Naraku. Old vendetta's burn deep.

After looking about the two bedroom, one small bath cottage, he decided that it would simply have to do. At least it was fairly clean minus the layer of dust on everything. That was not an issue, as he would make the mortal clean it when she returns.

* * *

Kagome sat on the edge of a steep looming cliff with her knees drawn beneath her chin and a sad look upon her pretty face. Her eyes were pained by all that had happened recently in her life. She had lost a very dear friend in a horribly violent way. Her delusions that there were no demons in this time period were demolished. The most deadly demon that she ever encountered kidnapped her from her best friends funeral, only to find out that he was actually saving her because she is now the target of some unknown militant group, for some insane reason. Then, as if that were not bad enough she comes face to face with Naraku's soul stealing incarnation, now grown, and still very creepy. 

To add insult to injury, she is stuck with that arrogant selfish asshole inuyoukai without a change of underwear or a toothbrush.

What in Kami's name did she ever do to deserve this torment?

A normal woman her age has never brushed the sleeve of death, but she couldn't begin to count the many times it had almost claimed her. After a while, it wasn't even very frightening to face off against the enemy. It became second nature, giving such a rush of adrenaline that it could make your head swim. Some people jumped from airplanes, Kagome fought bad guys.

Unfortunately, it was probably safer to jump from an airplane.

With a heavy sigh, she tilted her head to rest her cheek on her knees, while she admired the beauty of the valley below. This place was very peaceful. It was just what she needed to calm down. If she had stayed with that jerk one more minute she would have purified him into the afterlife.

This whole affair felt like she was riding a spiraling roller coaster from hell that was running out of control. All because of this unknown enemy. An enemy that killed her best friend.

They will pay.

No one did that to her friend and got away with it. Kagome vowed at that moment, to Eri and to herself, that she would find the one who killed Eri and take them down.

* * *

After unpacking his bag, Sesshomaru pulled out his notebook pc, and powered it on. He was just about to sit down at the small table in the nook of a bay window, when the girl, Kagome, returned. She stepped hesitantly into the doorway, while looking all around. She first eyed the small den, and then the tiny kitchen area. Her eyes glanced his way, but did not linger, as she continued her tentative inspection. She looked up to the ceiling and down to the two doors leading to the bedrooms and finally entered, closing the cottage door behind her. 

Without a word she walked to the bedrooms and peeked inside. Obviously noticing his belongings in the one on the left, she entered the smaller of the two on the right, closing the door behind her. Sesshomaru thought it strange that she had nothing at all to say upon her entry, especially since the last time he saw her she was spitting mad. He temporarily dismissed thoughts of the troublesome girl, returning to the list of military organizations located in the area.

Kagome didn't even bother getting angry that he chose the largest room, because she knew he would. Mister high and mighty would, of course, expect the best. So she went into the room now serving as her own and looked around. Not bad, just plain and kind of small. With her fingers crossed, she walked over to a white armoire in the corner and opened it up.

Nothing. Completely empty save a few metal hangers.

Well, that figures. It just goes right along with her luck as of late. Now what was she going to do without a change of clothing for the next few days?"

Her bed was a low single, which was covered in a thin plastic sheet, effectively keeping the dust from the bedding. Kagome leaned over and carefully removed it. Beneath she found a pretty white coverlet and pillow. After slowly balling the dusty plastic and placing it in the corner, she turned around and sat down, testing the comfort and found that it was pretty cozy. 'At least that's a plus.' Finally she stood and continued to check out her surroundings.

At least there were no mirrors. 'Another plus.'

In the middle of the left wall she found another door. Kagome walked over and opened it up to find that it was a small bathroom, complete with shower, one brand new toothbrush still in the plastic wrapper, and a trial tube of toothpaste. 'At least my breath won't stink while I walk around in filthy clothes for days.'

There was another door on the opposite wall, which led into Sesshomaru's room. The light from the window cast a light over the dresser and she could see a sheen of dust everywhere. She stepped back, closing the door. She would have to remember to lock this when she was in here. The humiliation of flashing her naked human body to Sesshomaru would be the ultimate mortification.

Back in her room Kagome found the same dusty layer over everything, and decided that she had to get this place cleaned up if she were going to stay here. Besides, she had nothing else to do, unlike Sesshomaru, who was probably busy playing solitaire, since that is the only game suited to him.

Kagome shrugged off her blazer, leaving her in slacks and a silk spaghetti strap top. She unclasped the tiny buckle at her ankles and took off the high heels, wriggling her toes in relief. Dirty or not, the cool wooden floorboards felt good to her feet. She stepped into the bathroom again to freshen up. Kagome was amazed that this place had running water, and even more surprised to find the electricity was fully functioning. Kanna wasn't kidding when she said she was always prepared.

She then left her room, noticing that Sesshomaru paid her no heed at all. He was clucking away at the keyboard at a tremendous pace. Kagome shivered at the sight. There was just something so very wrong about seeing the taiyoukai working a laptop. Five hundred years ago he was brandishing a demonic blade named Tokijin and hissing 'Die Inuyasha!'. Seeing him like this was just creepy.

Finally she shrugged her shoulders and went into the tiny kitchen to look for a cleaning cloth or something to get rid of the dust. While looking through the cabinets Kagome found a few cans of tuna, and a couple cans of vegetable mixes. At least she wouldn't starve while she was here. In one of the drawers there was a can opener and some silverware, and for that she was extremely grateful. Asking Sesshomaru to claw open a can of tuna probably wouldn't go over very well.

Her incessant opening and shutting of the cabinets and drawers was beginning to grate on his nerves. It was interrupting his train of thought and irritating his ears. He looked up from the screen to find her stretching to a seemingly impossible length in a vain attempt to reach into the top cabinet near the refrigerator. Unwillingly his eyes took a brief moment to linger over her form, finding it not as appalling to the eye as he had hoped. Her bare shoulders were sculptured nicely and she had a petite waist sitting above the enticing swell of her...

By the Fates, what was he thinking?

Sesshomaru growled with frustration and bit out an order. "Miko, you will clean the dust from this cabin."

Kagome whirled around to face him with her most evil glare. Her eyes were dancing with blue flame as her temper burned anew. "Listen to me Sesshomaru. I am not your servant! You got that? If you think you are going to order me around like that baka toad, Jaken, then you can go ahead and kill me now, because I refuse!"

Before he could reply she swirled back to the cabinet. Using her renewed anger, she finally managed to grasp the tip of the cloth with her fingers, pulling it down from the top shelf. She looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes and snapped, "I was going to do that anyway, but you really need to learn how to ask."

'Ask?' Why should he ask? Those around him simply did as he demanded, he had no need to _ask_ them to comply. His personal staff feared him. Not to mention the fact that he paid them extremely well to grovel. He had no need to _ask_ them to do anything.

Unfortunately this girl was not a member of his staff, nor was she the type to grovel, although he would enjoy seeing her down on her knees bowing before him.

Naked.

Yes, that would be quite pleasing. The image lightened his mood considerably and he resigned himself to letting her live for now.

Sesshomaru simply sat there, staring at her with those piercing yellow eyes. One slender, dark brow was raised as if in question, making Kagome sigh audibly with frustration. The arrogant ass had probably never once asked politely for anything in his whole demon life. Memories of a prostrate Jaken came to mind. That stupid little toad kissed Sesshomaru's butt so much that his beak should have been brown. Speaking of Jaken, "Say, Sesshomaru, what ever happened to Jaken?"

The eyebrow that was arched so gracefully fell into a furrow. Sesshomaru scoffed and turned back to his work, but managed to huff out his answer. "Deceased."

Kagome wanted to ask him what happened. Her curiosity, however was not strong enough to push her luck, because the demon in slacks, pecking away at his keyboard, seemed a little more perturbed with her than usual. Not that she was one to let that bother her. His answer was curt and dismissing, as if it went beyond just her, almost as if he was angry at Jaken for dying.

Kagome turned away and busied herself dampening the cloth in her hand. Sesshomaru seemed lonely. He always had seemed that way, even with Jaken and little Rin by his side. She wondered what happened to Rin, and decided that she would ask him about her later, when he was in a better mood. Kagome giggled slightly, but managed to suppress much of it. Sesshomaru in a good mood would be a sight to see.

With an attitude like his, it had to be almost impossible to make friends. He was not exactly the outgoing type. Well, at least not the Sesshomaru that she knew. Not the one that attacked Inuyasha without provocation, hissing 'die' with hatred poisoning his voice. She took a glance over her shoulder at the inuyoukai. He seemed so different now. The long centuries have changed him, but how much? She didn't care to push her luck too much there. This time she had no Tetsusaiga to save her from the Dakkasou. That crap ate right through the sole of her best school shoes.

How would it feel to live as an immortal? A beautiful, powerful, untouchable immortal? Would the power sustain you for an eternity? Would having everything that you desire fill the emptiness in your heart? How would it feel to be Sesshomaru? A creature of myth and magic forced to live in a mortal world and live a mortal life?

It must be pretty lonely.

He could feel her eyes on him, and found it to be rather distracting. If it were any other female he would not have bothered to notice, but this one was different. She knew him. She knew him from a time when he ruled by blood and death. To her, he was not a business tycoon and sought after bachelor. To her, he was a killer.

The years had not been kind to the youkai population. Ultimately their own instinctual habits would wipe out their numbers to near extinction. They ignored the humans as weak ignorant creatures and spent their days seeking to increase their own power. However, power does not come without a price. Demons, like himself waged war upon one another in their quest to quench the craving for ultimate power. The stronger ones eradicated each other as well as masses of lesser youkai. The weaker ones were not only defeated by the stronger youkai, but also by the humans who feared them. Very few survived.

Only a handful of demons, like himself, which take human form, lived beyond the mid-eighteenth century. Those that lived were forced to keep their true identities a secret from the mortal world, for what humans lacked in strength, they made up in numbers, and no youkai can fight forever. Even the strongest would eventually succumb to exhaustion after a time. The human hordes would hunt them, never ceasing to flush them out. Humans now considered themselves at the top of the food chain. To give up that position to a creature such as himself would be to once more live in fear as they did centuries ago.

This girl, Kagome, she was different, and always had been. Even in the days of Inuyasha, she stood up to her foes with little fear. She fought beasts most humans never dreamed of existing, but she never judged upon species alone.

She had always been of interest to him.

His half brother placed her under his protection and she was considered one of his pack, but that had nothing to do with Sesshomaru's interest. What first caught his eye was her idiosyncratic nature compared to others of her delicate species. Her brash words, rebellious shouts, and reckless disregard for her own safety was unheard of during that time period. Women were seen, not heard, yet Kagome ripped through that human mold upon his first introduction.

It was a mistake to underestimate her. Nothing could have prepared him for the hours that would follow. His entire world would rock off kilter just because of that one mortal girl.

Inuyasha would never have succeeded in touching him had she not been there. His foolish half-brother never stood a chance of actually causing him injury. He was slow, and awkward, fighting like a wild barbarian. Inuyasha always had fought with his heart, not his head, and that was useless against a skilled enemy such as himself.

It was useless, until she came.

Her presence changed Inuyasha. It strengthened him in a way that he never expected. By having Kagome there to protect, the fire in Inuyasha's heart grew to a roaring blaze. It pushed his strength to new heights and transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands.

It had cost him an arm.

One does not miss an arm until it is gone. There were days when he cursed Inuyasha with every breath drawn, but the one who made it all happen was this miko. The one currently moving around the room, dusting as if she had not a care in the world.

He narrowed his eyes on her lithe form, as he absentmindedly rolled his left shoulder.

It took two centuries to grow it back. Two centuries of itching and burning aggravation. The scar tissue from Naraku's foul jewel shard, burning the scarred flesh, almost made it impossible to ever recover the limb. Fortunately enough, his jaki bloodline was strong and the malformed tissue slowly began to repair itself. What should have taken less than a century, took two, but it was a lesson well learned.

It is always enlightening to discover that one is not a god.

At that young age, he was foolish enough to think himself such. No creature, save his own father, had the strength to defeat him, and power became his addiction. He lavished in it and hoarded it to him, until one point when he was even willing to slay his great father to achieve the position of supreme ruler by taking possession of his swords.

Times were so different then. It was impossible to imagine, in those days, that the world would change so drastically. Strength today comes by way of the almighty yen, and strength of mind is the only way to achieve that. Sadly, to rule in this modern era it takes a skill not found with a sword. A clever and savvy business mind is needed to gain and sustain power in the age of technology. Fortunately for Sesshomaru, he is possessed of both. He can crush an enemy just as quickly on the battlefield as he can in the boardroom.

When one has to capacity to live for eons, one must be adaptable to change.

Some of higher intelligence, like himself, managed to survive the ages, though times were not always the best. There were decades of hiding. Years of solitude and isolation. Their numbers decreased around them without any one of them taking notice, until it was nearly too late. Caught up in their own self-centered existence, they were ignorant to the very real threat of extinction until it was blindingly obvious.

Being the youkai on top was an empty victory when there were none left to bow at your feet. The insignificant humans multiplied like maggots, and cross breeding with humans became generally accepted, amongst most of his kind. Between death and cross-breeding, the decimation of demon-kind was inevitable. Even his own race of inuyoukai was finally lost to time, leaving him alone in this world. Being the last of your race is a sorrowful thing, and there were times when he felt like giving up completely.

But he is not a quitter.

He refused to pass away into myth and legend. He refused to let the humans win. Though he may be only one, he lived, and he lived well.

A sneeze from the corner of the room distracted his rather futile line of thinking, and Sesshomaru glanced once more to the female waving her hand frantically in front of her face. She was younger back then, he was sure of it. She was more youthful and lacking of womanly curves. He remembered a little too well, the indecent little skirt that she wore and the distracting vision of her slender legs. It was scandalous for a human to dress in such a manner, though many demon females were not so concerned about modesty. That was the second quirky thing that he noticed about her.

In the tomb of his father she stood fearlessly before him, brandishing the un-transformed fang of his father, with upright displeasure. A blast of his Dakkasou had done nothing to the mouthy little wench, and it shocked him momentarily into actually inspecting her more closely.

She smelled human enough, though rather clean for one born mortal. He wondered if his nose had failed him, since she had survived his poison claw. The clothing and attitude, combined with her resilience, spoke of demonic heritage, which, at the time, left him somewhat confused of her origins. It was only when he realized that _Tetsusaiga_ had _chosen_ to save her from his poison, that he settled his mental debate on her blood.

She was, indeed, just a mortal bitch.

Now, in the age of computers and cell phones, Sesshomaru wondered if he had been wrong all along. How was she still alive after all this time?

The fateful day in his father's tomb, was the first of several occasions that he underestimated the girl. The second incident was the first time that she fired a flaming hamaya at him. It was inconceivable, at the time, that a mere mortal would attempt such an insult on his person. His original interest in her was the only thing saving her from death, until she had the audacity to try the same thing twice. In her second attack against him, she actually managed to destroy a perfectly good set of armor.

Sesshomaru almost chuckled as he remembered his reaction. At the time he had been utterly furious, and would have killed her then, had it not been for Inuyasha's persistence to keep his newfound friends alive. The momentary distraction of Kagome was quickly set aside over his growing amazement at Inuyasha's newly gained strength. It was then that he began to truly understand the connection between Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga, and the mortal woman known as Kagome.

His father once asked him if he had something to protect. At the time he found the absurdity of such a question ludicrous, but had he known the true reason behind his father's question, then he may have answered differently. The sword that could slay one hundred demons in one swipe was forged for protection. It was crafted to protect not only the wielder, but to protect those lesser creatures in need of such.

A god needs no protection.

It was his own arrogance and passion for power that cheated him out of the sword of destruction. He needed no protection. But those beneath him needed protection _from_ _him._

The shift of a rounded derrière swaying, as the miko crawled down to clean the back legs of an end table, again snared his brief attention. It was becoming rather obvious that he had gone too long without a good rut. He cursed his rising ardor and pushed away the rather disturbing thoughts.

No, in the distant past, the miko was simply an anomaly. Something unusual that his brother had found and kept. After the initial battle in the tomb, the months ahead only served to enforce some unbidden feelings of respect for the female. She fought valiantly, and had proven to have both a heated temper as well as a kind heart. When dealing with Inuyasha, it was much less troublesome to direct his questioning to her, as she answered with levelheaded honesty, instead of childish shows of temper. It became clear that not only was she emotional and determined, but passably intelligent as well.

In those days, her duty to complete the Shikon no Tama and destroy Naraku was diligently upheld, and the purity in her miko veins grew to a staggering level.

When the reign of Naraku finally ended it was Kagome, the odd mortal woman, who rid the world of his presence. Not his own strength, or the strength of his brother, would fell the audaciously crafty hanyou. It was the fire of purity and her love of her friends that vanquished his filthy existence. At the time it was a rather harsh blow to the ego, but he was loath to admit he felt a bit of pride in her performance.

Only once more, after the death of Naraku and the completion of the jewel, would he cross paths with Inuyasha.

His first sight of the hanyou would remain etched in his mind for centuries.

He looked... broken.

A piece of vital strength had fled him, and he wore the lack of it on his shoulders for all to see. He thought the hanyou pathetic for allowing a mere mortal bitch to once again humiliate him, and even voiced his observation, but for once the insolent whelp did not scream and attack. He simply turned and walked away.

He left Inuyasha that day, never seeing him again. Thoughts of the mysterious priestess occasionally rose to the surface, and he found himself pondering her complexities without answer for hours, but as time slipped by she became lost to him as well. He simply pushed her memory aside for some other curiosity that happened along.

That was five hundred years ago.

Sesshomaru pondered the depth of time that had passed. Five hundred years was a very long time. Even hanyou would show visible signs of aging after the passing of five centuries. While she did look more mature, more shapely, and sculptured, she had not aged that greatly.

It was a conundrum that once again set root in his inquisitive mind.

He was now presented with the opportunity to gain answers to many of these questions that plagued him long ago. There was no Inuyasha hovering around her as a protective savior. He had her here, alone and totally at his mercy.

The corner of his firm, masculine, lips, curved in a barely noticeable smirk. Power was still quite an addictive thing.

He thought over ways to obtain the knowledge that he sought. He could always threaten her with death. She feared him, but unfortunately, just not enough. She never had, which was a considerable annoyance to him. Her anger and valiant heart had a tendency to over-ride her own thoughts of self-preservation. As much as it was an annoyance at times, the demon lord also found it to be rather stimulating to witness. Her skin flushed to a rosy glow and her midnight eyes deepened with determination.

Those meager little growls that she releases are also quite amusing.

Threatening the miko would probably not work, but he would still get his answers. It was unfortunate that he could not treat her as he would a demon bitch in order to achieve his desired results. No, forcing her into submission would not do. From what he knew of her, she would lash out with purification, and then she would probably cry, and he despises crying. If she truly were human, he would have deal with her differently.

If the years of being surrounded by mortals taught him anything, it was that mortal females could be very emotionally unstable. Over the last fifty years he lost many a secretary to a fit of tears before they blindly fled from his office. It took some time, and a great deal of restraint, to adjust his ways when dealing with humans of the feminine persuasion.

As it turned out, he may not be the most humane of employers, but at least now he was able to maintain office help for extended lengths of time.

Besides, human secretaries were preferable to those of demonic decent.

His last attempt at instilling a demoness as his personal secretary ended with half of the third floor decimated. Not all demons had such fine control over their emotions as he himself.

He probably should not have rutted with the bitch.

Regrettably, she caught him on an off-day. Some business deals had gone sour, and he had an unwanted and unexpected guest arrive at his manor the day before. After work hours, he stayed late to complete the closing paperwork, and regrettably, had a few drinks. If humans accomplished anything in the past seven hundred years, it is the art of fine saki. Unfortunately, youkai tend to be hit rather hard by any sort of spirits, leaving them to suffer from extreme intoxication. It is a very short-lived state, but a strong one.

Too bad it was just long enough for her to sashay in his office and remove her clothing. Sadly, he probably would not have resisted that temptation even if he had not been inebriated.

There are very few full demon females still in existence, and Sesshomaru still stands by his rule to never lay with a mortal female. His father was a fool, and he would be damned if he followed in his footsteps. It was a matter of principle.

This moral resolution only has one problem, however, and that is the devastating lack of female demons. While there were still some walking the Earth, they are arrogant and self-absorbed, spoiled parasites that are only loyal to themselves and a fat bankroll. He had no need of a mate such as that. With a bitch like that in his bed he would never achieve sleep again, for the moment his guard was down she would happily slit his throat and relieve him of his wealth.

It left for a rather non-existent sex life.

Certainly it was a fortunate thing that he held such solid control over his bodily instincts. He was a male, after all. He desired, just as any other male, and at times his body sought to betray his mind, by ignoring his ignoble resolution to abstain from anything less than a full blooded demoness.

Like now, for instance.

Sesshomaru growled low at his own ridiculous behavior. And over a stupid mortal bitch at that! One that irritated him to new levels, and defended the half-breed against him.

He shifted uncomfortably in the stiff dining chair, and pulled his eyes away from the miko's swaying bottom.

He had really picked up some foul habits over the years.

Sesshomaru returned his full attention to the screen before him. The military divisions were listed and in the sidebar on the left where it gave a link to the people in charge. He clicked the link and a new page popped up with a list of names, ranks and pertinent information. He reached over and slid a notepad within reach, then quickly jotted down several of the names, as well as the location of relative headquarters.

That would be a good place to start.

* * *

A/N2: Next update: Detective Kobayashi Naoaki pays a visit to the home of Taisho Shuusaka. Juria and her henchmen set out to capture the miko, and the cozy cabin is just a little too cozy for Sesshomaru and Kagome. Until 


	7. Chapter 7 Hidden Discoveries

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Hidden Discoveries**

That shower felt absolutely sinful it was so good. Kagome smiled at the fresh clean feeling, finished toweling her long hair, and then wrapped the towel snuggly around her body. She was a little unsure how to handle the situation with her clothes, however. She had planned to put on her slacks and slip back into the satin halter-top, but unfortunately, after dusting the entire cabin, they were both filthy. Her undergarments were now hanging from the shower rod, dripping onto the porcelain tub, but at least they would be clean for tomorrow.

After combing out her hair, Kagome was startled by a low grumbling which originated in her poor empty tummy. Thinking back, she was sure that she had not eaten since breakfast, and even then it wasn't much. She had been so upset over Eri's death that her appetite was practically non-existent, but now, after such a strenuous day and cleaning the cabin, she once more found her body craving food.

Kagome walked into her bedroom, looked at the filthy clothing piled in the corner, and then glanced at the door. She really didn't want to put those dirty clothes back on, but the only alternative would be to wear the towel. With a frustrated shake of her head, Kagome argued mentally over her dilemma.

Should she waltz out there in the towel, put on the filthy pantsuit, or just go to bed hungry?

Her stomach chose that moment to throw in its two cents worth. After the second, rather loud rumble, she narrowed her choices, because there was no way that she was going to bed hungry. That arrogant jerk was torturing her enough by dragging her around at his whim. She would be darned if she suffered starvation for his sake!

So, that left the option of donning the dirty clothes or leaving on the damp towel. Finally with a very temperamental growl, Kagome decided that she was not about to put back on dirty clothing after having just had a nice refreshing bath. Sesshomaru would just have to get over it. Besides, he thought himself above all humans, and no doubt, her exposure of mortal flesh would do nothing more than disgust him.

So with her mind made up, Kagome stalked over to the bedroom door and snatched it open.

Sesshomaru was sitting in the den, taking a moment to clear his mind of all the newly stored information now floating around in there. The computer data that he gathered was mostly useless, but there were several interesting leads that could, possibly, direct him to the ones responsible for this whole sordid affair. Needless to say, after hours of searching through pages of text, his eyes were feeling the strain, and he finally decided to call it an evening.

After settling himself on the low sitting sofa, he stretched his left leg out, keeping his right bent at the knee. After pulling his shirt loose from his pants, he unbuttoned it, then leaned back before closing his eyes. He began the process of pushing all the troublesome thoughts temporarily from his mind, in hopes of getting a decent nights rest, before beginning once again in the morning. It was really all he could do at the moment, as his experience through the ages taught him that it was most advantageous to develop a battle plan before initiating the attack.

It was late, and all was quiet in the cabin, save for the sounds of crickets singing outside, accompanied by the occasional hooting of an owl. At first it was a pleasant change from the constant noisy barrage of the city, but now he found that the absence of technologies hum, honking horns, and roaring engines in the distance, had the opposite effect of lulling him to sleep. Instead he decided that it was too quiet. Strange that, because once there was a time in his life where the noise and hubbub of the city was a most unwelcome thing. It was easy to remember days of walking in vast expanses of forested lands with only the sound of a little girl's chatter, and the occasional grumbling of a ridiculous toad, to mar the silence.

His highly sensitive hearing then picked up the sounds of his latest, by necessity only, companion lightly shuffling about in her room. A smirk curved the corner of his lip when he heard her mumbling of, mostly, incoherent words. It seemed the wench was once more blaming him over her lack of wardrobe.

Just when she grew quiet, he relaxed, finally thinking the girl had given up her muffled tirade and retired to her bed. His golden eyes flew wide when she surprised him by proclaiming a growl of spiked temper. Once again he wondered at the strange human woman, who could boast a growl comparable to a small hungry predator.

His surprise quickly soared into complete and utter shock when said mortal flung the bedroom door open and stormed out.

In nothing but a flimsy towel.

This promptly brought his reclined head rigidly back up, in direct contrast to the remainder of his form, which still appeared completely relaxed, belying the truth of it all. In reality, Sesshomaru was paralyzed completely, save his head and neck, which followed the miko on her stormy path into the open kitchen.

By his ancestors, he had never seen such a brazen wench in all of his long life. She knew quite well that she was traipsing about right in front of him, exposing him to her human flesh. It was simply abhorable the way the slip of cloth rode high over her long smooth and nicely shaped legs. How dare the woman think to force the delicate slope of her creamy shoulders to his youkai eyes!

He blinked just as she turned away, depriving him from the horrible sight of her lush round breasts, bound low in nothing but a slip of white terrycloth. The temporary salvation offered when the miko turned away, swiftly morphed into a living nightmare upon the opening of his eyes only to find her reaching up toward the top shelf in an attempt to grasp a can stored there. The obnoxious towel refused to cooperate and rose high on the girls' hips, inadvertently giving him a glimpse of the disgustingly delightful swell of her round bottom.

The growl erupted deep from within his chest before Sesshomaru even realized the threat of it breaking free.

Kagome felt the blast of cool air to her butt at almost the exact moment that a deep, disturbing, growl erupted from her, otherwise, silent companion. With speed bordering on youkai ability, she reached back to snatch the bottom of the towel down and at the same time abandoned her attempt to reach beyond the limits of her flimsy covering. Unfortunately the desperate action only served to loosen the twist at the top that was keeping the towel wrapped around her body.

With a gasp of horror, Kagome moved her hands just in time to grab the darn thing at her hips and snatch it back into place. She was flaming with embarrassment. Completely mortified! But her humility only lasted a brief moment before anger set in.

"Woman, this Sesshomaru has no wish to look upon your mortal flesh!"

Kagome rounded on him in a fury, tightly grasping her towel around her slight frame. Her lovely face, which was scrubbed clean and bare of all makeup, was illuminated with a bright crimson flush. All of this he barely took in before she lashed out with a verbal snap. "You arrogant prick!"

Interesting choice of words, especially since his own 'prick' was now hard and throbbing.

Kagome was absolutely livid. She had just flashed her goods at Lord Sesshomaru, and as if that was not bad enough, the snobby youkai had to go and bark out a snide comment about it! As if she were exposing herself to him on purpose or something! How dare he!

"You, Lord Sesshomaru, or Shuusaka Taisho, or my own personal favorite: 'stuck up jerk', are the most infuriating, self-centered, ass that I have ever had the displeasure to know! This is all your fault anyway! If you were even _remotely_ a gentleman, you would have provided me with something to wear, or at least offered to get the stupid can of tuna down from the shelf for me! But NO, you are too good for all that, so instead I'm stuck out here in the wilderness with no clothing, nothing to do, and food that comes from a can!"

He heard enough.

Before the insolent wench could blink an eye he had her flipped around, bent, and her face planted rather roughly against the kitchen counter. With weak human nails, she clawed at the hand that was grasping the back of her neck, and struggled uselessly against his dominant power with futile struggling movements of her hips and legs.

"Wench," he growled, while trying to ignore the suddenly bent and vulnerable female body moving against him, "you will not disrespect me in such a manner unless you wish to forfeit your life!" Unfortunately his threats were rather hollow, because Sesshomaru was fast losing the battle to remain unresponsive to the wriggling little female. Despite his best efforts to control it, he could no longer hide the fact that his flesh had forsaken him, leaving him with a large, rigid, and aching erection, which was currently pressing delightfully against the miko's warm, squirming, ass.

Kagome went still, first with fright when he attacked, and then in shock.

Wildly her mind tried to rationalize what was happening. Sesshomaru was threatening her life... again, and he was insulting her... again, but according to the very hard bulge now pressing against her backside, he was hiding the truth. For all the harsh words and degrading comments concerning her human body, Sesshomaru had obviously been more effected by the towel incident than he wanted her to know.

Sesshomaru, the arrogant taiyoukai, was turned on by her human body.

At first, the idea was almost laughable, but then it began to swim into a more disturbing collection of thoughts. Her body grew hot and her breathing quickened when she felt the brush of his warm breath on the exposed column of her neck.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru abruptly released her, and before she could even right herself, he was gone into his room, shutting the door rather harshly behind him. Kagome was so shaken that she slid right down into a heap in the floor. She sat there for a time, leaning against the cabinet doors and trying to still her erratically beating heart.

The comprehension of what just happened left her bewildered. He was so cold, always standoffish and untouchable, tossing insults and orders without batting harsh a golden eye, yet something had happened tonight that gave her a new view of the taiyoukai. He became aroused... by her.

Dear Kami above.

Sesshomaru snarled as he ripped open his bag, digging carelessly through the clothes that had been neatly folded there. That infuriating creature had affected him more than he had ever dreamed possible. Not only by her flagrant disregard for his authority and position, but with her smooth curves and soft swells as well. His traitorous body denied him control, leaving him with this unsatisfied need and exposing his weakness to the miko responsible!

He was doing fine, controlling his reactions, until the towel rode up, and then nearly fell to the floor completely. The vision of her soft round cheeks, perched atop smooth, firm thighs, almost caused his heart to still, but when the silly twit panicked, snatching the towel nearly off her body, he knew that she was intent on driving him mad.

Sesshomaru stopped his infuriated search and drew in a deep, calming breath, before releasing it slowly from his chest. The vision of her sculptured back, and the slim curve of her waist, swam unwelcome in his head. He could still, clearly, see the creamy mound of her partially exposed breast, as she reached to capture the slipping towel just before it fell to the floor. It was insanity that he could feel this way about a mortal. Especially this _particular _mortal!

It was with resigned acceptance to the torturous days ahead that Sesshomaru decided to retire to his bed.

Kagome pulled herself up from the floor, never once thinking of her still empty stomach, as her mind was bombarded with the flood of thoughts now brewing in there. The knowledge that Sesshomaru was not as completely unaffected by her human body as he claimed, was almost more than she could grasp. Had he always been this way? Did he, like Inuyasha, always spout things from his mouth that were in complete opposition of his true feelings? Did Lord Sesshomaru harbor a secret side, a side that was not cold and unfeeling?

Thoughts of a little human girl named Rin, danced merrily through her memories. Rin was such a sweet, pleasant child, happily following her beloved Sesshomaru-sama through the years. She was polite and carefree, full of unwavering confidence in her lord. She was devoted to him with every bone in her little body, even risking her life, in those turbulent times, whenever she was needed. Rin was special, accepting Sesshomaru, a full youkai, as her own personal guardian and savior, leaving everyone who crossed their path bewildered at the oddity of her choice in companions. Why did she love him? _How_ could she love him?

The truly odd thing about it had been _Sesshomaru's_ devotion to _her_. He, a full blooded youkai lord, dubbed as the Aristocratic Assassin no less, had accepted the little human girl into his pack, protecting and providing for her as if she were his own. It was a quandary that had been discussed in fervor many times around a feudal era campfire. No one understood his acceptance of Rin's presence. Inuyasha seemed very surprised at first, but then feigned disinterest in his half-brother's choice of companions. He refused to comment on it all, claiming that he, quote, "did not give a damn." It didn't stop the rest of them from gossiping about it on occasion, especially after the random run in with Sesshomaru and his entourage.

Could it be that he really didn't detest humans as much as he proclaimed?

Remembering Rin now, made Kagome wonder if Sesshomaru really did have some amount of kindness hidden deep inside his icy heart. Perhaps there was more to him than any of them imagined? Did he really consider Rin as a mere servant girl, or was she more like a daughter to the stoic and solitary man?

Strangely enough, Kagome was beginning to see it that way.

She opened her bedroom door and slipped inside. Slowly, with heavy feet, she made her way over to the bed with all intentions of dropping the stupid towel in the floor and going straight to sleep, because now she was thoroughly exhausted. When she moved to pull the covers back, Kagome froze, her eyes refusing to believe what lay there before her.

A large, crisp, white, cotton T-shirt.

Her hand reached down, and her fingers closed around the soft material. She then looked up toward the bathroom door that joined her room to his.

Sesshomaru had come into her room and left her a shirt to wear. The taiyoukai, who minutes ago threatened her life, had given her one of his own undershirts to put on.

Now, more than ever before, Kagome understood that there was, indeed, more to Sesshomaru than anyone ever suspected.

* * *

Detective Kobayashi Naoaki reached out and ripped the yellow police tape from the doorjamb before unlocking the brass lock and stepping inside. A whistle of appreciation slipped from his lips when he flipped the light switch and looked around. Impressive. It positively reeked of wealth and power. Taisho Shuusaka had big money, and it was obvious by looking around his penthouse apartment. 

If there had been any reports of ransom requests, he would not have been surprised. That, was the problem. Not one correspondence had been passed concerning a ransom for Mister Taisho. Why? Why would he be kidnapped if there was no desire for ransom?

It could have been a hit. Yes, the possibility was there, and rather great, that Shussaka had made enemies over the years. He was renowned as a ruthless businessman, plowing over those hapless individuals who stood in his way to the top. It was entirely possible that he angered the wrong person, thus inviting an attempt on his life.

It was a scenario that Kobayashi would not completely rule out, but he was almost positive it was not the case here. If someone wanted Taisho dead, they would have found his body right alongside that of his driver, with a bullet through his head. It was too suspicious that the victim disappeared so completely, making him wonder what purpose could have been behind it all.

The man's connection to Wannabe Eri was too strong, and her own connection to the murder of the other young women, formed a chain of deception and danger that the long time detective could not ignore. They were connected, somehow. He was sure of it.

As he walked around the massive apartment suite, admiring the collection of original paintings on the walls, and briefly stopping to sweep a hand over the back of a huge white Italian leather sofa, Detective Kobayashi pondered his latest discovery. Two of the women killed were considered miko's. Not a common thing at all in modern day Japan, but never-the-less a common trait between two of the victims.

His trip to the shrine had been fruitful, but visiting the home of Kajima Chihoko's parents, was a hard thing to do. The small shrine where they resided was tucked away in a run down area of old Tokyo, and with the death of their only daughter, he imagined the place would now fall to ruin.

The elderly couple was not taking the loss well at all. Their fragile, aged faces, wore the pain like an open wound. He had been in the business too long to remain oblivious to what that kind of pain could do. It would fester and rot, draining their will to live, until one day soon, either the gentle old man or his sweet timid wife, would pass on to the next life. With nothing left to live for, the remaining member of the family would give up their soul to death, all too closely behind. The bastards that killed these young ladies did not only kill them, but they snubbed out the lives of their loved ones as well.

With an angry growl he turned his complete focus back on the task at hand. Somewhere, there had to be a lead. Something had to break, giving him the chance to stop the person, or persons, responsible for these heinous crimes. Naoaki just prayed that it would be before another dead girl was found.

Higurashi Kagome, the other miko, was still missing, with not one report coming in concerning her abduction. Just two hours ago he phoned her mother, in order to keep her up to date. It was getting pretty damned hard to listen to her sweet voice drowning in tears. He tried to relieve her fears a little, by assuring her that he was hard on the case, but nothing could put her at ease, not with her daughter still missing and a serial killer on the loose.

He had been surprised at his own strange reactions to the lady. Higurashi Maya was a beauty in her own right. He had to admit that her gentle demeanor, and her passionate love for her children, affected him more than he would like. He felt the need to comfort her for some damn crazy reason. It was pretty odd, because he dealt with the family of victims all the time, but never before was he willing to step beyond the boundary of detective in order to offer a little strength to a distressed woman. She was different somehow. Her big brown eyes, lit up with tears, had given him a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, and for some reason he wanted to take them away and see her smile.

"Rubbish," he grumbled at his stray thoughts, before kneeling down to look beneath the massive cherry wood bed. The rooms were kept immaculately clean, but there was clutter spread here and there as a result of the police search that had already taken place. An effort that came up blank, but Kobayashi refused to give up on the notion that they may have missed something somewhere. He opened the door leading to a bathroom fit for a king, but moved to the next door, which led to a monstrous walk-in-closet. Along the walls were dozens of dark suits, shirts, and silk ties in an abundance of colors. Along the floor, neatly aligned, were rows of shiny dress shoes in black, as well as several shades of brown. On the right, there were three black umbrellas, leaning neatly in the corner. Up on the shelves were a variety of scattered items, all of which had been plundered through in the search for clues. Naoaki ignored that mess, and continued his perusal.

He slipped his hand into the breast pocket of several high quality men's jackets, finding nothing at all. He skipped a few then tried again, and in one he pulled out a phone number with the name 'Sakira' scribbled beneath it, and smelling of expensive perfume. Obviously a feminine interest. In the gossip scene, Taisho was known to be a well sought after bachelor, and Naoaki didn't doubt one bit that he had women falling at his feet. Never-the-less, he pocketed the number, just in case. He would have someone check it out later.

He stooped down to pickup a bag of very expensive golf clubs. Hell, he didn't play golf himself, but any idiot could see that the ones he held in his hands were very well made. Heck even the damn bag looked like it cost a small fortune. With a huff he started to lay them back against the wall, when something odd caught his eye. On the floor, in the right corner, where the clubs had been resting, was a small cylinder the exact same color of the floor. It was almost unnoticeable, and had he not stood here looking at the clubs, he would never have seen it at all. What was it, and why was it here? He put the bag of clubs to the side, pulled out a tiny flashlight from his pocket and flipped it on, before kneeling down to get a closer look.

Odd. It looked like a button or something. A button to what? What did it do?

Half hoping that it wasn't some sort of secret alarm that the department overlooked on their previous trip, Detective Kobayashi Naoaki stood up and pressed his foot down on the mysterious button.

He jumped when the wall at the end of the closet began to mechanically move, sliding away before his eyes. When it stopped, with a barely audible click, a dim light automatically switched on leading into a short narrow corridor. Kobayashi cautiously stepped inside, searching the space with inquisitive eyes. He looked for any signs of danger, switch wires, or anything that could basically get his ass killed. Seeing nothing, he continued inside the passageway that led to another door. This one was made of bamboo and stretched across it was a delicate and intricately painted shoji door.

He slowly slid the door open and stepped into a hidden room and his mouth gaped open when he looked around. Here, in this secret room he found the most amazing things.

* * *

Juria stepped up to the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast forest and mountains beyond. Somewhere out there was her miko, and she was determined to find her.

* * *

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Madman. I really, really, appreciate all of you who have been reading it, and those of you who have reviewed receive my most humble gratitude. I love to hear from you. Your comments give me inspiration and the excitement needed to go on. Thank you all so much! 

In case any of you are interested, I posted a new short story last week. It is a Rin/Sess 3-chapter fic, full of very naughty hentai fetish fun. The title is '**Club Fetish**', Rated NC-17, and it's posted on both Mediaminer and Fichaven, so hop over there and check it out for a panty drenching good time.

Next update: The search for the miko continues, and Juria is faced with traipsing through the wilderness. Detective Kobayashi is astounded at what he finds in Shuusaka Taisho's hidden room, and Sesshomaru is disturbed from his rest when Kagome has a strange dream. Until 


	8. Chapter 8 Searching for Answers

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 8 - Searching for Answers**

A/N's:

_IYFG Nominations for 1st Quarter 2006 Fanfiction Awards_

A special thanks to sesshysjadedsamuri for nominating, RhiannonoftheMoon for seconding, and namitheronininu for thirding, 'Madman' in the Inuyasha Fanguild Society's 1st Quarter 2006 Fanfiction Awards for Best Original Character, Matsuno Hotaka! I am deeply honored that you three think him worthy of recognition, and I hope that others will think so as well. He's a wicked, horny man, with a world domination plan. Let's hope he wins the Award, but loses against our hero's.

Strangely enough, 'As Death Gives Life' is also up again for Best OC. I guess that means that I'm running against myself. Hehe! Anubis is in the running once more and sends his thanks out to RhiannonoftheMoon for the nomination, Priestess Skye for seconding and Vyncent for the third. I'm tickled pink that everyone still loves my InuGod!

'As Death Gives Life' is also up for Best Action/Adventure! That is really great. I would soooo love to see it win! That would be awesome. For this nomination I must thank Tainted, as well as RhiannonoftheMoon for seconding and Vyncent for thirding. It is so rewarding to see that you all enjoyed it so much that you think it worthy of the Best Action/Adventure title. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the win.

So far 'Pure Extasy' (from 'The House of Lemons') is in the running for Best Lemon. My thanks to Beccaatoo for the nomination and A Lover of Love for the seconding. It's good to know there are some of my hentai pals out there voting for the smut!

I have some pretty stiff competition out there in all the categories. There are some quality pieces up for awards, and just as deserving of the titles. I wish all those authors good luck for a job well done!

Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful reviews and support that I have received for Madman! I'm sorry that I can't always respond to each individual review, but time just isn't to my advantage these days. I've been working on my vampire romance novel quite a bit and it has taken up most of my free time. I guess that I just wanted you all to know that I've read each review and it does my heart good to know that you like the story. The nominations are wonderful and a real ego boost, but it is your daily kindness, by reviewing, that keeps me smiling.

Now, on with Madman!

* * *

Detective Kobayashi looked around the hidden room with wide bewildered eyes. It was like stepping into another world. The items in this room did not belong here in this immaculately kept penthouse apartment. No. Most definitely not. These fine things deserved to be in a museum, where all could look upon this piece of ancient history.

Fine silk Kimono's, preserved, yet still showing age, hung decoratively inside glass cases that appeared to be designed just to hold them. Swords nestled snuggly in stands atop dark velvet cloths were displayed beneath strategically placed lighting. He paused to appreciate the beauty of the blades. The hilts were wrapped to perfection and the blades shone in the light. As he hovered so close above the swords he felt an odd sensation, strangely enough, as if they were alive. One sword looked well worn, and full of nicks in the steal, but the other was impeccable in its pristine beauty.

There was armor lining one wall. Armor from the ages. Each style just a little different from the next. There was a long fur stole, too thick to be worn by a woman, but unusual for a man. Gold coins and strange jewels lay in shimmering piles. A short, wooden staff rested in an airtight case. The smooth surface was carved into an intricate design of an old man's face while the opposite side was fashioned into that of an old woman. There were magnificent paintings on the walls of strange mythical creatures twisting their way to life. One large painting in the middle was of a two-headed draconic beast docilely staring at the painter, while a little girl sat smiling happily on its back. In one corner there was a wooden crate, built to contain dozens of ancient scrolls, which he dared not touch for fear they would crumble in his hands.

All in all the room was nothing short of breathtaking.

And he smelled danger here. His cop instincts were screaming it. Naoaki had little doubt that there were protective devices keeping these things safe, but strangely enough, he couldn't spot any of the wiring. Someone was good. Very good. It would be best not to touch anything.

What the hell was all this stuff doing here?

Were these artifacts stolen, black-market artifacts that the wealthy businessman purchased on the illegal auction circuit?

Naoaki decided to find out. This discovery could very well be the reason behind Taisho's abduction. There was literally billions of yen sitting around him in the forms of highly sought out collector's pieces, and if the kidnappers wanted it, they would go to great lengths to get it. He reached in the breast pocket of his coat and pulled out his cell phone. He flipped it open and started taking pictures. A little research should tell him everything that he wanted to know.

* * *

Kagome soared through the bright blue sky on a pink flying carpet. Her long ebony hair whipped out behind her as if it were alive. She laughed and leaned to the right, sailing through a big puffy white cloud and giggled when the soft fluff tickled her skin.

Far below she could see the Higurashi shrine, and she swooped down to wave hello, but when she got closer she could see that the woman, cheerfully hanging clothes on the line, was not her mother at all. Curiously she maneuvered her weightless craft around for a second look and gasped in shock to see that it was a younger version of herself. The clothes in her hand was now a longbow and she turned, pointing the arrow at herself, with sharp determination in her eyes.

With a gasp of shock, Kagome pulled up, barely missing the arrows' deadly pass. The wind ripped through her hair and the abrupt climb set her heart racing madly in her chest. Another white cloud blocked her path, but she only smiled and headed straight for it. Again she passed through the softness, and found herself shivering from the light caress.

When her pink magic carpet burst through the fluffy cloud, Kagome found herself without her clothes. Some tiny part of her nagged that this was wrong, but the feeling was not strong enough to persist. The flight through the sky was too fast and too glorious to ponder such things as missing clothes.

Kagome raised her hands high above her head while a broad smile brightened her happy face. The ride was like a roller-coaster with limitless combinations of turns and loops, but Kagome felt no fear, only exhilaration.

Until _it_ began to chase her.

She looked behind her, feeling frantic now, and very sure that something ominous was trying to catch her. She leaned forward and raced as fast as she could toward the forest below.

But the forest was not a forest anymore; it was a bustling city of towering steel, blotting over the landscape like living things snapping at her passing form. She dipped to the side, barely missing the gnashing teeth of one hideous swaying structure, before looping to the right in order to miss another. Snarling fangs protruded from monstrously huge mouths intent on devouring her whole. Her pulse beat with a rapid rate and she silently cursed the lack of her bow and arrows.

Where was he? He should be here to save her! He was always there to save her!

Inuyasha!

The congestion of hungry steel titans was becoming too thick too fast and she knew that she had to find a way out.

The well!

She could see the Bone Eater's Well, sitting large and bright, in the middle of a crisp green clearing, deep in the forest of Inuyasha. If she could make it to the well she would be able to leap through just in time! She pulled her curvy form up on bent knees and leaned forward with a look of deep determination on her face. She knew that she could make it! She was so close!

The wind passed by so rapidly that it stung her soft creamy flesh, but Kagome refused to give in. She would escape the dark presence chasing her!

The well was so close that she could see the grain in the ancient weathered wood, when suddenly, without warning, it changed into a gaping white beast that opened its massive jaws and devoured her completely!

Kagome's scream of terror tore from her throat, but never reached crescendo, before transforming into a cry of raw ecstasy. The incredibly long fangs of the wellmouth magically melted into soft white fur, wrapping around her gently. A thousand fingers of this new, mysterious lover worshiped every inch of her body, fueling a great heat that coursed through her core. She threw her head back and issued a low, throaty moan that only echoed the pulsing desire now coursing through her veins.

And Kagome's dreamed on...

* * *

Sesshomaru's eyes were closed one minute, and opened wide the next. There was no mistaking the scent of terror hanging thick in the air. In a fraction of his youkai heartbeat, the taiyoukai abandoned his rest to engage in combat. The miko was being attacked, and he feared that their enemy had her in their grasp.

With the silence of a stalking cat, the demon lord eased up to the door separating his room from the bathing room. He could hear her heart beating wildly and listened for the sounds of others, but the absence made him pause. He could only hear Kagome's racing heart. There was no one else.

Something was wrong with the miko, but now he questioned the presence of an enemy. Perhaps she was in the throws of a nightmare? He opened the door, slowly, and silently, just in case it was a trap. He crossed the small bathroom to the door leading into her room, and listened. Her breaths were harsh and soft desperate whimpers spilled from her mouth, but still he could not detect the presence of another being in the room besides Kagome.

With a low growl of aggravation, Sesshomaru opened the door, silently cursing the wench for disturbing his rest. He gave the room a sweep, checking for intruders, but finding all in order. There was no one in the room except for himself, and the writhing miko, lying sprawled on the bed.

With the threat of attack pushed behind him, the woman who woke him up captured Sesshomaru's full attention. She was wearing his cotton shirt, and the darkness did nothing to hide her form from his youkai eyes. Her long raven hair was mussed about her head, spread over her pillow like a waterfall of black silk. The T-shirt, did little to hide the tight peeks of her nipples, swollen and teasing, atop full round breasts, and as his eyes followed the curve of her smooth hips, he realized that the scent in the air was changing at a rapid pace.

May the Ancestor's help him.

He was enveloped in her strong, female arousal, which was now spicing the air. He sniffed lightly, inhaling the inviting fragrance, before his mind was fully aware of the consequences from doing such. The heavy allure invaded his senses, pulling him dangerously closer to the edge of her bed.

Deeply ingrained youkai instincts were screaming at him to answer the mating call of the powerful female in need. This was no light scent the bitch was emitting. This was thick and heady. It spoke of lust and heat, and it was alarming, the strength of the pull.

While the beast stirred, rumbling and roiling within, Sesshomaru was also forced to acknowledge that the simple male in him wanted the woman as well. It had been a very long time since he bedded a female. A very long time indeed.

The taiyoukai stood frozen, staring down at the vision of moaning feminine flesh. A mortal. Kami above, he never thought to stoop so low, but he could hardly ignore the effect that she was having on his body. He could not deny the pulsing hardness resting flush against his belly, aching to enter her warmth.

'She is not mortal, in the true sense of the word,' he argued with himself. 'The Shikon no Tama has seen to that.' This line of reasoning seemed logical enough, but that dark stubborn side of his mind brought up another vexing issue, 'She once belonged to Inuyasha.' This brought a deeper frown to his stern face. The cerulean moon, painted gracefully on his forehead, wrinkled just a bit, in the furrows of his inner debate.

The thought of Inuyasha touching her, brought on a sudden stab of anger. It was enough to shake him back to a more reasonable state of mind. His lust for the opportunity to bury his length into Kagome's soft depths subsided enough to bring up other points of concern with this particular woman. Inuyasha being the most bothersome.

There was also her miko blood. As far back as he could remember there was never made mention of a youkai bonding with a miko. There could be explosive results. Mainly to him. And that was not a very pleasant thought at all.

Her snappy attitude was another consideration. While he quite enjoyed goading her into a tiff, he found that her resulting attitude would almost always ignite his temper in the end. Was she worth it? Would becoming closer to Kagome be worth the sheer aggravation of her verbal displays of anger? Hmmm... while they were mostly humorous, she sometimes touched a little too close to home. 'The wench really knows how to press my temper.' On the opposite side of that coin, he had to admit that he enjoyed her reactions to a certain extent, and knowing her as he does, he could stand to lessen his needling of her pride for the sake of getting along. _If_ he wanted to get along.

'She possesses great loyalty and compassion.' Even in times of war she stood strong and never wavered from her duty. Her loyalty to Inuyasha, as much as it rankled his nerves, was unwavering, even when he was somewhat undeserving of it. Of all the youkai and humans that he knew, only one other matched her strength of character. Rin. She was completely devoted and unquestioningly loyal to those she loved. Rin always looked up to the miko Kagome, and missed her when she was gone.

These traits had to be adding to this uncanny attraction. It was rather un-nerving.

'What in the nine levels of Hell am I doing?' Sesshomaru cursed himself. His head tilted back and his eyes grew wide when he realized how close his hand was to actually touching the miko's smooth cheek. Her dreams were easing now, and the heat of her call was beginning to lessen. It helped to clear his head enough to step away from the temptation.

It was the moment in Sesshomaru's life that he realized how very dangerous Kagome was to him.

The power of the Shikon Miko, was nothing to fear compared to this. This power that she held over him was a dangerous weapon indeed. He would not fall to this woman. He, Sesshomaru Taisho, heir to the Western Lands, and owner of the most lucrative blade yielding weapons industry in the Eastern Hemisphere, Taisho Arms, Taiyoukai and Aristocrat, would not fall to this one small human woman. He would have to guard himself well against her, or he would surely lose this battle.

With a twist of his foot, Sesshomaru turned away from the sleeping girl, daring not to look back, before closing the door quietly behind him.

The moment the door closed, Kagome sat straight up in bed. Her eyes wide and her slender hand placed over her heart. 'Sesshomaru'. He was in her room. 'What was he doing here?' She had been having this crazy dream, where she was flying and being chased, but in the end she was having this wonderfully intimate moment with...

"Oh my God," she whispered into her fingertips.

The dream was insane, but it had felt so real. The man she had... lain with, was Sesshomaru. The only difference was that his hair had still been incredibly long. Why would she dream such a thing?

The most confusing thing was being drawn out of the dream state, almost as if something were pulling her back to reality. Pulling and tugging at her senses until she was slightly awake. Awake enough to recognize Sesshomaru's aura standing right next to her. She felt no threat, but she did feel a tingling against her own aura that was disturbingly nice. But before her sleep addled mind had a chance to process the gist of the situation, her watcher left the room.

Why was Sesshomaru standing by her bedside while she slept? That question was almost as disturbing as her dream.

* * *

General Matsuno Hotaka leaned over his desk, studying the map before him with intense focus. Somewhere in this wilderness, lay the key to his dreams for a better world. Somewhere... hiding. He would find them. Juria claimed to be unsure of the miko's life. His Colonel was under the impression that the youkai would kill the miko, but he knew better. If the youkai wanted the miko dead, he would not have swept her away from the cemetery, nor the park. No. The youkai had reasons to keep the woman alive.

He turned his attention from the map to the open file on the small table against the wall. Along with paperwork, there were snapshots spread out of those persons who were related in some way to the missing miko.

Higurashi Kagome

Female

Age: 22

Address: 825 Higurashi Shrine Lane, Tokyo, Japan

Work: Higurashi Shrine as Resident High Miko.

2nd place of Work: Heritage Library as Assistant Librarian

Living relations: Mother, Higurashi Maya. Brother, Higurashi Souta. Grandfather, Higurashi Orito

Hotaka sighed deeply and shuffled the photos of smiling relatives and oblivious co-workers. His surveillance team had little to offer as far as the girl went. It appeared that her social life was rather limited and her family small. There were no suspicious relationships, which would lead back to the host youkai that slipped his grasp.

The mother, brother and grandfather were being watched by the police twenty-four hours, but he suspected that they were unaware of the fact. It would be hard to get to one of them, and he would risk exposure or losing an operative by trying. That would mean going after someone else dear to the miko.

He pulled a picture of a young smiling woman with a bobbed hairstyle and big brown eyes. Best friend of Higurashi Kagome, Wannabe Eri. Oddly enough, this very woman was the one his people eliminated in order to get to the youkai, Shuusaku Taisho. The connection was there, but nothing put them together. The powerful businessman was the boss of her friend, but nothing more. There were no reports of any other connection. How could the youkai have known they would come for her at the cemetery? Had he discovered more about their operation than they had first thought? If so, how?

Coincidence? Hotaka did not believe in coincidence. No, there was more to this connection, but that was not a priority. Getting the miko back alive was.

Juria was currently scouring the mountainous terrain where the taiyoukai was suspected to have disappeared, hopefully with the miko. However, he had decided not to place all of his eggs in the same basket. It was time to gain an ace in the deck. The miko simply needed the right push and she would turn herself over to him without the need for a chase.

He pushed the picture of the dead woman away and slid another forward.

Kishimoto Rishou

Male Age: 23

Home Address: 1140 Yamamoto Square, Apt. 256B, Tokyo, Japan

Work: Owner, Anime Akushondorama. 3600 Saitou Drive

Relation to Higurashi: Intimate Friend

"Intimate..." The words echoed softly in his office. Hotaka picked up the picture of a smiling young man with the undisciplined look of a rebel. The man had piercing's in his ears, one over his eyebrow, and was wearing a sloppy T-shirt with an open button-down oxford thrown carelessly over it. He had a long dark trail of hair falling over his shoulder, and a sparkle in his dark eyes. Was that spark there for Higurashi Kagome?

He would soon find out.

* * *

Juria cursed the fucking wilderness around her, and even cursed the fucking man who sent her here. Hotaka knew how much she hated roughing it. Damn his hide. She brushed away a trail of sweat trickling down her forehead with a gloved hand, before placing that same hand on a fallen tree trunk before jumping over it with graceful ease. Her booted feet landed lightly and she righted herself before snatching the collar of the Tracker a little harshly. The beast stopped, as well as the other three men at her back, and turned toward her.

With narrowed eyes she growled, "You better be one hundred percent sure about this, Tomo, because you really do not want to drag me out on a wild goose chase. I do not like the damned woods, and I do not want to be here. So if you steer me wrong you will pay in blood. Got it?"

The Tracker crouched its misshapen body in fear, but did not redirect its course. It was on a scent, and it was leading to something of great power. Tomo was sure of it.

"Damn," Juria spat, before motioning to her soldiers to move out. She would follow this creature, because she trusted its nature to get her what she wanted. It would seek out the power and the power was the youkai male who had, so far, bested her in this game. She had her fingers crossed that the miko was with the male. It would make this all so easy if she were. They would take care of him first, and then she would be easy pickings from there.

Absently her hand made its way to the odd looking gun holstered at her side. The Doc cooked up some of his youkai tranquilizer from the same stuff he made the scent from. The modified Glock on her hip was stocked with enough juice to put the male youkai down for a nice long nap. A grin spread over her lush full lips when she thought about having the youkai in her grasp once more. He would pay for this inconvenience. She would make sure of that. He would pay with pain.

Juria slapped at a biting insect that was making a feast of her blood, and wiped the mess on a white linen from her camouflage pocket. She looked down and grumbled at the mud and debris caked to her normally shiny black combat boots. She then pulled her radio from her side and hit the button. "Come in Myth Search 2, this is Myth Search 1. Over."

The radio crackled a second before her call was answered by her second in command, Sasaki Masamichi. "Myth Search 2, here. Over"

"Are you on the trail of discovery? Over." Juria asked. The last time they had contact, the second group was having trouble catching a scent of anything suspect.

"It looks like the River to the Truth lies ahead. Shall we proceed? Over."

River? Juria wanted to scream. A river could throw them off track. Sometimes the Trackers mistook the innate power of the river as something more than it was. It was a gamble, but one she was willing to risk. "Ten-Four, Myth Search 2. You have permission to proceed. Myth Search 1 Over and Out."

"It's a go. Myth Search Two Over and Out."

The radio went quiet and Juria slipped it back onto her black leather belt. She glanced back at her men finding them navigating the thick underbrush with slightly less grace than herself, but managing just fine. Each one held a fully automatic weapon in hand, as well as several knives and stars sheathed on their persons. They were ready for a fight, but if things went her way, their prey would never have a chance.

Another bug decided to take a bite out of the smooth soft skin on her neck. She slapped it then flicked it carelessly aside. "Fucking bugs," she grumbled.

It would all be worth it to finally see General Matsuno Hotaka come into full power. He was the most aggravating, brilliant, amazing man that she had ever known. His vision of the future would change everything for every living person on the planet Earth. This world was in need of drastic change, and as the supreme overlord, Matsuno-sama would direct their path to prosperity for all.

With her standing by proudly his side.

* * *

A/N2: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think.

Next update: Detective Kobayashi 's research into the hidden artifacts from Taisho Shuusaku's home comes back with some rather perplexing results. Sesshomaru speaks of the past, revealing the fate of Inuyasha, and Kagome comes face to face with her new enemy.

Until then


	9. Chapter 9 Let Old Acquaintance Never

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 9 - Let Old Acquaintance Never be Forgotten**

A/N: Sorry this was a long time coming. I'll try to be quicker with the next update! With school out it's hard to write when my son is continuously under my feet. Thanks for all the reviews and support for Madman. I really enjoy reading your opinions and kind words.

I would also like to thank everyone who voted for 'As Death Gives Life' in the IYFG 1st qtr 2006 award for Best Original Character - Lord Anubis. It won second place again! I was very happy about that and I owe it to all of you who read and loved it, and found the InuGod worthy of voting attention.

With the sun peeking over the majestic mountains, Kagome blinked open her eyes, then stretched her body before finally sitting up. Her mass of dark hair framed her face in a tumble of unkempt waves. She pushed her arms out and bent her neck to one side, enjoying another muscle wrenching stretch, before dropping her arms like heavy weights back into her lap.

Kagome scooted her butt over to the edge and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She stood up and gathered her bearings, before heading into the bathroom to freshen up. It was with fresh breath and clean, dry, underwear that she stepped out of the bathroom still clad in the white T-shirt. She managed to finger comb her hair enough to get her by until after some breakfast. Food had to come first this morning. She was absolutely starving.

After opening her door she immediately spotted her roomie. Lord Sesshomaru was sitting as stiffly as ever, plucking away at the keyboard of his laptop with superhuman speed. She faintly wondered what his words per minute was, but brushed it off as too freak'n strange to deal with this early in the day. Memories of his claws raking lightly over her flesh flooded her with a rosy blush. She silently cursed her dreams and tried to think of her grumbling stomach instead of the conundrum of hot demon flesh currently acting as if she didn't exist.

"Good Morning, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, now irritated with herself for sounding like a squeaky teenager.

He stopped his flurry of typing fingers with a suddenness that made her jerk. He sat there, for a moment, staring at the computer screen, but saying or doing nothing else. Kagome began to wonder if he was angry with her for interrupting him, but then he turned to look at her. In his eyes she didn't see anger, but there was a flash of something dark and hungry. Before she could assure herself of what she thought she had seen, his beautiful eyes, like golden crystal balls, sparkling around slightly elongated black pupils, changed to shielded yellow ice.

"Miko," Sesshomaru replied. "It would benefit us both if you were to use the name Shuusaka from this point on."

He watched as her softened features grew hard in temper. Well, that came out differently than he planned it. It had not been his intention to sound so cold and demanding, but it certainly came out that way. He turned away from the hurt look on her face, and continued his search for the fools waging a personal war against him. His mind was distracted by Kagome, who had moved on to rummage through the kitchen cabinets once more.

Why did he always feel so defensive around her? His entire body felt the need to stay on guard against her womanly wiles. The only problem that he could see with this was the fact that Kagome was not pushing herself on him at all. She seemed completely oblivious to the effect that she was having on him both mentally and physically. In ways that he couldn't explain he felt a sense of deep comfort around her. The knowledge that she was there in the days of his prime power was soothing to his bruised modern ego. The fact that she knew, and had spoken with, his Rin made him feel some sort of unique connection to her. She had traveled with his brother, long dead and gone from this world, but she remembered him. She knew the power of Tetsusaiga first hand and she saw the mystical strength of his Tenseiga.

The things that he treasured most in the world were mere myth to this modernized Japan. Not one soul, save himself, had looked upon the Swords of Destruction and Healing in centuries. There was no one who could be trusted with the truth of it all. No one could know what he truly is, or know of the power humming through his veins. He was nothing but myth now. His secrets were a heavy load to carry all alone, but here, now, he was with one lone female who knew it all.

It was almost overwhelming to think of it. She too carried this secret of long lost knowledge. She remembered powerful demon swords wielded by even more powerful demons. It made him feel more comfortable and relaxed around her, as if a load has been removed from his shoulders. Perhaps he had begun to wonder at the truth of it himself? Could centuries of pretending to be someone else alter ones mind, leaving them in a fantasy world where fact is myth and myth is fact? It was a frightening notion.

As disturbing as it was to discover his guard being lowered due to this connection to the past, Sesshomaru had to face the reality of it. It was dangerous to ignore the truths. By knowing they exist, one can better guard against them. A large part of his defensive reaction to Kagome was to guard against becoming too comfortable with her presence.

While part of him felt comforted, another part felt agitated and wild. This was the truly disturbing emotions that caused him to consider throwing caution to the wind for a moment of carnal pleasure. It was a side of him drawn to her own mystic power, power that far surpasses most anything living today. It pulses around her form like a second skin, clinging to its lovely host and giving Kagome an ethereal appearance that spoke of something much more than human.

Sesshomaru growled lowly upon realizing that he had been sitting still, staring at the same screen, and wasting precious time, pondering about the miko.

"What 'cha doin'?" Kagome asked as she slid into the chair next to him. She had rummaged through the cabinets and found a can of diced peaches. She never thought eating anything out of a can could taste so good, but by the time she found a can opener to pry open the can she was drooling at the mouth. She scooped up another bite of the sweet fruit and savored the flavor before swallowing it down. At first she was going to ignore him, especially after his icy good morning earlier, but she was really curious about what he was up to. It was obvious that he was researching something, but what, she had no idea.

Much to her surprise he actually chose to answer her, and without any sarcasm or degrading remarks at all. He pointed out the government divisions that could possibly have any interest in youkai and miko power. Sesshomaru had even compiled a list of various organizations that were not officially ran by government funding but that held close contacts with those within. There were lists of names and their rank or position written neatly beside each.

"Impressive," Kagome whistled.

"Nonsense. It is merely public knowledge listed on the internet, but among these names there could be a link to the ones responsible for this whole sordid affair." He went to the main military site, pointing out the links to the separate branches. "The most difficult to check out are the smaller groups spawned from military personnel who no longer officially receive funding. I suspect that our man..."

"Or woman," Kagome interjected.

"Hn. Or female, is receiving funding, but it is not so easy to track them down. An operation such as this will not be publicized. They are most likely a covert branch and wish to keep it so."

Kagome looked a little confused. "So why are you bothering to look here?"

"It is my hope that through these persons, one will know of something related to our own troubles. The problem is, finding them and asking without letting them know too much." Sesshomaru replied.

She nodded in understanding and sat quiet for a moment, eating small spoonfuls of syrup coated peaches. He was being unusually forthcoming this morning, and Kagome made up her mind to ask the question that she was dying to ask. "Um, Shuusaka, what ever happened to Inuyasha?"

His back went rigid, as her question was unexpected and unwelcome. He hated talking about him. His feelings on Inuyasha were still, to this day, mixed and unclear. While he despised his brash behavior, and detested his blood relationship, Sesshomaru could not deny that he held a certain respect for the hanyou's strength and accomplishments. It wasn't something that he openly admitted, of course. He simply chose not to discuss him. In fact, it had been centuries since anyone had even spoken Inuyasha's name in his presence, not since Jaken died, leaving him to travel the world alone.

Did he truly wish to engage in this conversation with Kagome? True, it was only natural for her to be curious, though for some reason he found it irritating. Perhaps the best course would be to tell the tale and be done with it. After it was said, then there would be no reason to ever speak of it again. "Inuyasha became lost when you left him."

She interrupted immediately. "You make it sound as if it were my choice! I didn't _leave_, I was _taken_."

"Hn. As I was saying, Inuyasha was lost, but after a decade passed, he found a sense of peace with his life."

Her gasp preceded a sharply whispered, "He died?" Sesshomaru huffed. "Close. He did not die. He married."

"Wh... what?" The uncharacteristic humor was lost on Kagome, because all she could hear was the word _'married'_.

He continued as if she had not, again, interrupted him. "She was a maiden from a village where he slay a malevolent demon. As you are aware, we were not close, thus I am unaware of the particulars. He and I crossed paths only once, when the fox pup came to request the hand of Rin. After a lengthy... discussion... I took my leave, however Rin felt the need to tell me of Inuyasha's personal affairs.

Kagome almost smiled, imagining the _'discussion'_ that the two were in. 'Probably tried to kill each other,' she groaned. 'Wait!... what!' Kagome squealed, "Rin and Shippo?"

Sesshomaru's smooth lip curled just slightly, "Hai. They were mated and lived a long prosperous life."

"Wow" Kagome whispered in amazement." That's wonderful. "What happened to them?"

"Hiroshima," was his solemn answer. This was a subject that he truly did not wish to continue.

It hurt to know that Shippo was really gone. The tragedy of the war took the lives of many good people on both sides. It was horrible to think that her little Shippo, and sweet caring Rin, were taken in such a catastrophic way. She was grateful, however, that they had lived a long happy life together. It helped to ease the pain of it a little. Kagome also wondered how Rin lived such a long life as a human, but after seeing the pain flash in Sesshomaru's eyes, she decided to change the subject. It was obvious that he still missed Rin badly.

"So... Inuyasha lived happily ever after?" she asked hesitantly. Did she want to hear this? No, it wasn't a matter of what she wants. Kagome needed to know. She had to know so that she could put this behind her.

"He was satisfied with the life given him. Inuyasha found peace, but..." Sesshomaru paused, "...your absence took a great toll. His strength was never again what it was, and it was eventually his downfall."

Kagome felt her stomach clench in dread. For her peace of mind she had to know, but that didn't make it any easier. Logically, she knew and accepted that Inuyasha was probably dead. He was a hanyou, and fighting was an every day thing for a guy like him. Unfortunately that did little to soothe her when hearing of it first hand. Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots.

Sesshomaru continued. "I was not present, mind you, but my sources were sound. Inuyasha's life was ended in battle against a dragon youkai. It was an honorable death, which was avenged."

"So... he... he is really dead?" She asked in a broken whisper, as if he would say something differently to change the truth of it. He only nodded once, in Sesshomaru fashion, showing nothing of his inner thoughts. "Avenged?" Kagome questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Inuyasha's life was mine to end. The dragon trespassed against me by taking my kill. It was nothing more than that."

Although Sesshomaru insisted that it was nothing more than a slight against him, Kagome felt that there was more. If Sesshomaru had really wanted to kill Inuyasha, he had been offered plenty of chances, yet he never went through with the threats. Kagome had witnessed him walk off and leave a vulnerable Inuyasha too many times to truly believe that Sesshomaru wanted him dead. Sesshomaru killed the dragon because he was angry at losing his brother. Even though they proclaimed to hate one another, Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's last living link to his family.

"Thank you, for avenging Inuyasha's death, and for telling me the truth," Kagome said in a whisper. Tears were brimming her eyes and she didn't want to cry in front of Sesshomaru.

The memories of long ago brought out a sigh from the demon lord, who then leaned his head far back, looking thoroughly tired. He rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes against the strain from the computer screen, causing his thick snowy hair to brush lightly against his shoulder blades.

The movement brought up a question, and Kagome was thankful for a reason to change the subject before she broke down into a blubbering puddle of lost opportunity and unforgotten love. "Hey, I thought your hair was much shorter than that yesterday.

He raised his neck a little, his perfectly formed right brow rose into an arc, showing his surprise at her change of subject. Considering the path of her earlier questions, he welcomed the switch of topics. "It is really such a bother. I must trim it every single day to keep the same style. Its natural length strives to reach my calves though today's styles do not conform to such lengths."

For the first time Kagome came to truly appreciate the daily struggle of the youkai before her. He was a warrior above warriors. He fought a battle for his life, his right to live a normal existence, every single day. He was a magical being in a world of technology, but still living strong. Sesshomaru was an amazing individual. He had always been larger than life, but today, at this moment, she knew it more than ever. "It's an honor to know you, Sesshomaru. I just want you to know that."

He was taken aback by her admission. It completely shocked him that she would be so open in her compliments considering their history, but then again, the miko was never one to hide her human feelings. Whether she was hurt, angry or happy, Kagome seemed incapable of hiding her emotions.

Before he could respond, she stood and announced, "I think that I'll go for a short walk. Her mind was swimming with the news of Shippo and Inuyasha's demise, not to mention the insanity of her life lately. She needed some time alone to think, and a walk would be perfect. Alone she could cry, and mourn her lost friends.

After watching her hips swaying through the door, Sesshomaru leaned back rubbing his temples in a purely habitual manner. This uncanny attraction he was feeling toward the miko was getting out of hand. In no less than two days of her company he had already shown her a side of himself that he guarded quite fiercely from all others. There was something about her that made him act out of character. He never intended to discuss Inuyasha's death, much less the passing of Rin, yet without much thought at all he told the story to Kagome.

He had never spoken of it to another soul.

He should be focused on the task at hand. Finding and killing an enemy who dared err against him. A military strength foe who sought the miko's life as well as his own. Instead his attention kept straying to things completely unrelated to the danger that they were both in.

With a growl directed solely at himself for his foolishness, Shuusaka returned to his work. It had taken him all morning to gain access to his company mainframe through a bogus username routed through an on-site PC at his main office. The password was only rotated every three weeks therefore it was still the same as his last login. That gave him a small advantage, as the connection would give him the link he needed to access certain codes needed to connect to various other companies associated with his own. There were three of them that were directly affiliated with the military regime. Through them he hoped to learn a little more about his enemy. It was a long shot, but the only shot he had at this point.

Kagome walked around the edge of the property until she spotted a trail hidden amongst overgrown bramble. She peered over the winding vines and decided that beyond the first few feet, the trail was less dense. She figured that she could probably make it, even in her skimpy attire. The brisk morning air felt good against her body, helping to stir the numbness in her mind.

She couldn't blame Inuyasha for moving on. She certainly shouldn't expect him to stay true to her after she was gone. It still hurt though. She wouldn't lie to herself about that. It hurt to know that he found comfort in the arms of another. Kagome reached up to wipe the tears away blurring her vision of the path ahead. Inuyasha deserved to find someone to care for him. She wanted him to have lived a happy life, and she could only hope that the woman he married brought him that. She should not be jealous of a faceless, nameless, woman who lived five hundred years ago.

'Stupid Kagome. So stupid!' As selfish as it was, she couldn't help it. She was jealous, but Kagome finally decided that it was okay to feel that way. She wouldn't let this news destroy her memories.

In a way she felt a little guilty for his death. Sesshomaru said that her absence in Inuyasha's life effected his strength and power. It was something that Miroku had noticed and commented on in the past. Inuyasha's desire to protect her from harm had always made him stronger. It wasn't her fault that the magic pulled her away, but still, in the end, her absence lead to his demise. Did he hate her for making him weak? God she hoped not. She hoped that he had missed her, just like she missed him.

Now that she knew the truth she didn't really feel much better than when she didn't know at all. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

With Eri gone from such a violent end, and Sesshomaru's verification of Inuyasha and Shippo's death, Kagome was feeling lower than ever.

The first year of her magical exile from the feudal era was torture. Every day she hoped to wake up and find Inuyasha sitting at the foot of her bed. She jumped in that damned well hundreds of times, but the magic never even pulsed once. The well was dead, and it took a long time for her to accept it.

Now, here she is, three years later, living her nice comfy life, striving every day to remember her friends with smiles instead of tears, and in the matter of a few days it all comes tumbling down.

Utterly typical.

Kagome was positive that the Fates found her an amusing subject. They seemed to enjoy twisting her life more than the average person. Obviously it was up to her to destroy this new evil. She owed it to Eri, and the other girls that died, just because someone out there thought that their lives were expendable. Just like Naraku, this new enemy seeks some sort of power, and they don't care how many innocents die so they can have it. If the powers that be decided that she was the one to make things right, then she will do her very best to live up to their expectations.

As soon as Sesshomaru , oops, Shuusaka, finds what he's looking for, they could begin their search for the ones responsible. Shuusaka's agenda was not much different than her own. He sought revenge for himself, and those under his employ that were carelessly slaughtered. She wanted almost the same thing. She wanted to bring these people to justice, but it may not be as easy as that. By bringing in the authorities they would risk Sesshomaru's exposure. She couldn't do that to him. So the only thing that she can do is join him in this battle and do everything in her power to bring these people down without too much bloodshed.

Trying to convince Sesshomaru not to kill these people is going to be like getting Inuyasha to say please and thank you. Her finger went up to touch her bottom lip in thought. Hmm... if only she had a subjugation necklace. Suddenly the image of Sesshomaru being slammed face first into the dirt crossed her mind. In spite of the giggle the image caused, Kagome knew better than to try that. She valued her life.

Her thoughts then steered toward the new demon lord, Shuusaka. It was obvious that Sesshomaru had changed a lot since she first met him. Five hundred years and little girl named Rin was the reason for that. No one could stay exactly the same after that many years, even Sesshomaru. As Shuusaka he was much more... approachable. Oh, he still thought that he was a notch above everyone else, but considering his abilities he had good reason. His arrogance was something that irritated her, but also attracted her. She liked confidence in a man. 'Ack! What am I thinking? It's not like I'm interesting in him as a man!'

Unbidden, the thought popped into her head. _But he finds you attractive. You felt the proof of it pressing against you_. Whew. That had been a shocker. He was always so cold and businesslike. She never expected him to be like other men, with unwanted bodily reactions, even towards a woman he practically hates.

Or does he?

She thought back to the years of traveling the feudal era and to her rare encounters with Sesshomaru. Back then he was just... arrogant and scary. She wasn't blind. He was also extremely handsome, bordering on absolutely beautiful. He also appeared as though he would rather step on her than look at her.

The individual meetings flittered across her minds eye as she scaled another patch of leafless vines. There were the times he tried to kill her. Yes there were those. Of course she was not completely free from fault there, as she had attacked him on two of those occasions. Then there were the times that he actually stopped fighting and spoke to her. Flippantly he tossed advice about dealing with a demonically altered Inuyasha, or to inquire of Naraku whereabouts.

In her mind she played those occasions out again, and looked at them openly this time, searching for something that had not been there before. His attitude towards her obviously changed over time to one of grudging acceptance and possibly even mutual respect. He saved her life once, by killing Mukotsu, the poison master of the Band of Seven. Of course Sesshomaru adamantly denied the fact, claiming to have slain the ugly little abomination merely because he would not answer his questions concerning Naraku. Come to think of it, he was well on his way to killing Mukotsu before he even bothered to mention Naraku.

Had he really killed him for her? Had Sesshomaru been protecting her all along?

Kagome laughed out loud. The sound echoed off of the valley and rising walls of the majestic mountains. She listened as it carried over the foggy damp morning until it dimmed in the distance, finally fading away. Boy she was really over thinking things lately. She had sworn to herself many years ago to quite over thinking things. It was much healthier just to go where the fates lead. It was useless trying to preordain what the gods had chosen for her path, so worrying over the future was wasted stress on her body and mind.

After following the little path around several rocky inclines and over slippery moss covered ledges, Kagome finally came to a stop at the most beautiful little stream that she had ever laid eyes upon. The remaining fall leaves, beautiful in shimmering autumn colors, clung to the branches of the maples overhead. A small meandering brook trickled over smooth rounded stones and the sound of it was so soothing that she sighed in relief. This was just what she needed. This place was perfect for a little meditation.

She found a flat rock, jutting out of the dirt only centimeters above handfuls of gold leaves scattered over the ground. Kagome took the low seat, careful to pull her white T-shirt close so that her butt was spared direct contact with the cold rough surface. After pulling her knees up to her chest she stretched the shirt over her legs covering as much of her skin as possible. Kagome then shifted into a comfy position and placed her hand beneath her chin watching the little rivulets of water pressing their way down the streams winding path.

She sat there for over an hour, or at least until her right butt cheek had gone completely numb.

There was nothing that she could do about the things that had already happened. The past was lost to her, but the future lay ahead and Kagome made up her mind to be strong and meet it head on. For all those that lost their lives trying to make the world a better place, she would do her best to make it safe for the future.

It was her duty.

As strange as it was, she would join with Sesshomaru, and together they would fight the ones responsible for this whole thing. She may not live through it, but she swore to take them down with her. For Souta, and her mom. For Gramps and Rishou. For all the miko's out there that are being killed without knowing why. She would make the world safe again.

Kagome stood and brushed her butt off. She hardly made it three steps from her perch, before the aura of something intrusive began to tingle at the edge of her senses. She was in danger. Immediately she crouched down, and tried to assess her situation. The threat was near, too near to escape un-noticed in this crisp white shirt. Cursing her luck, and actually debating on tossing the shirt off, Kagome began to move toward the edge of the forest, hoping to blend in with the thicker vegetation there.

"I don't believe that we have officially met."

Kagome stiffened, and her heart began a frantic rhythm. There was no use hiding anymore, because it was obvious that her position was already known. When she stood she turned to find a woman standing across the stream holding a gun pointed directly at her. She was dressed in green fatigues that hugged her tall slender form. Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, which drew attention to her beautiful eyes and high cheekbones. She was accompanied by three men wearing the same, all of them well armed. By her side was a wrinkled, hairless creature. It was crouched low on all fours and shivering with fear, as it stared at her with glossy brown eyes reflecting way too much intelligence for its misshapen body.

The woman wasted no time in introducing herself.

"I am Specialist Yamamoto Juria. And you, miko Higurashi Kagome, are the vessel from which the key to the future will be drained. Her arm then bent into a stiff angle, creating an oddly performed salute, while her left leg stomped down hard. "Hail Hotaka!" The three men behind her copied the actions of their leader in perfect synchronization, before issuing the same praise of "Hail Hotaka!"

'Dear Kami above', Kagome thought wildly. These people are completely nuts.

Taisho Shuusaka snapped his laptop closed and stood up to stretch his muscles. It had been just over an hour since the miko wondered out, and he figured her to be thoroughly lost and helpless by now. It was tempting to let her wonder about for awhile just to teach her a lesson, however, he was aware that she was under-dressed for the current climate and he did not wish to deal with a sniveling sick human. He supposed it would be prudent to gather her and return her to the warmth of the cabin.

As he turned to leave his makeshift desk he was made aware of intruders in the midst. Faintly the scents of several mortal males drifted to his senses. He could also smell the beast that led the way. A Tracker had found him. Just then the sound of gunfire split the quiet of the mountain retreat. The large sectional window shattered. Milliseconds before the bullet found a home in his chest he stepped aside, using youkai speed, and saving himself a grave injury. He ducked low, leaning against a wall to scan the area and try to sniff out his assailants. He couldn't see, or smell, the miko's scent nearby, and he hoped that she managed to stay hidden for now.

Easing around the trees in the far distance and moving toward the cabin, he spotted several figures dressed in typical combat gear. One had taken an elevated perch in the forest with a high-power rifle. Obviously, that was the one who shot at him just now. He could easily kill them all, and the temptation was almost too much to pass up, especially since he was feeling a little out of sorts these past days. A good blood bath would be just the thing to relax his body and mind. However, at the moment he was more concerned with the safety of his miko.

He knew they would come for her, but he had to admit that he never expected them to find them this quickly. How they accomplished this task in such short time, was a mystery. Nevertheless, they found them, and Kagome is their primary target. He felt sure of it, and that meant that these men were searching for her at this very moment. She would be in danger.

For some reason that knowledge burned through him, leaving no room for argument on emotions or personal ethics. His protective instincts emerged in full force, and every other concern dimmed in comparison. It was time to find the miko and relocate.

He reached up and snatched to notebook and computer from the table by his side. His cash and other items of import were in his pocket, so he discarded the idea of salvaging anything other than that. He made ready. The sounds of shouting and gunfire filled his ears as he burst through the back entrance and into the thick of it. A bullet whizzed past his right ear, slashing the skin on his cheek. Another caught the fabric of his pants, missing his flesh, but tingling his nerve endings with the projectiles intent.

In seconds he had Kagome's scent and he took off in search of her.

"Myth Search Two to Myth Search One. You copy! Target has escaped! I repeat, Target has escaped!"

Juria snarled in a very unlade-like manner and slipped the semi-automatic weapon over her shoulder. She then proceeded to snatch her modified Glock from the holster on her right side. The entire group crouched low and two of the three men holding Kagome in their sights, raised their weapons and began pointing them sporadically around the forest.

Juria was ready for him this time. She had just the thing for the big bad youkai. With a swift movement of her wrist, she readied her weapon. Her eyes were sweeping the forest, swiftly searching for her prey as she moved closer to the girl. Juria scoffed at the miko standing like a frightened deer in front of her. "Don't worry bitch. This isn't for you. It's just a little something special that I have cooked up for your boyfriend."

Surprisingly, the girl who had been shivering in fear until now, went rigid and indignant in the blink of an eye. "Hey!" she shouted, "He is NOT my boyfriend! Got it!"

Juria barely had time to laugh, before the air began to grow thick and dangerous around her.

Detective Kobayashi Naoaki stood in front of the address that he had been given. A bewildered look marred his ruggedly handsome face. He looked down, once more at the address, neatly scribbled in his notebook. 'What the hell?' he grunted, running his hand through the peppered gray strands. This couldn't be right, could it?

Beside the large rock arbor was a slot for mail, clearly marked as the address in his book. Beyond the massive arbor of granite stone was not a home, as he expected, but a... cave? Odd. Really Odd. He walked in, looking around for signs of life. "Konnichiwa! Anyone home?"

Further in he noticed a large thick door made of metal, hinged directly to the rocky mouth of the cavern. He could hardly believe that someone actually lived here. It was, well, primitive. He couldn't recall having ever seen a place like this used as a home. What sort of person lives in a cave?

"You better have a good reason for being here mister!"

Kobayashi turned to the voice, and nearly choked at the sight. Standing before him was a wrinkled elderly man covered in soot, wearing a ragged kimono, and waving a huge hammer wildly over his head. "Hold on old man!" He flipped out his badge for the ancient geezer to see. "Detective Kobayashi Naoaki. Are you Gotou Totosai?"

"Police huh? I have nothing to say!" The old man growled before turning away, dismissing him completely. It rankled his nerves, but Naoaki held his tongue. "Sir, I was told that you are the best source of information regarding antique swords. Was I misinformed?"

Apparently his question rattle the guys chain because he turned around with big bugged out eyes and said, "You bet your pansy ass I am!" Again, Naoaki ignored the jibe and pressed on. "Gomen, gomen. I am so honored to meet one so knowledgeable." He bowed in respect and stepped a little closer. "Gotou-sama, I would like to ask you to take a look at a couple of pictures here and tell me if you know of these swords."

With a whole lot of grumbling the old codger hobbled forward and Naoaki held up the pictures for him to see.

He wasn't expecting the crazy man to fall back on his ass in shock, but when he did, it only served to verify that he knew the swords. "You know them then?"

"Hell no! Never seen 'em before. Now get out of my yard!"

He wasn't expecting that either. "Sir! I must insist. It could be a matter of life and death!"

The old man pulled himself up, leaning heavily on the monstrous hammer. "You're damned right it is! That Sesshomaru is one scary demon!"

'Oh... now it makes sense. The old man is insane.' Well, that was a little disheartening, since he drove all the way out here to meet with the guy.

"Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. My finest work," Totosai murmured as he stared at the pictures with a dreamy expression.

"You are the sword smith who crafted these weapons?" the detective asked curiously.

"Hai. The two swords of the great dog general. The Tetsusaiga was a sword of incredible strength and the Tenseiga could bring the dead back to life."

Now Naoaki knew the man was a raving lunatic. Dog generals and swords that could raise the dead? Bah. He couldn't believe that he just wasted an hour of his day out here. "Arigato, Gotou-sama, for your time. I will be on my way."

"Fine! Fine! Be off with you boy. I'm a busy man." Naoaki turned to leave but the old man stopped him in his tracks when he said, "That punk Inuyasha finally managed to master the Tetsusaiga, but I don't think he would have managed it without the miko, Kagome."

_Miko Kagome?_

Coincidence? Could there possibly be another miko named Kagome who was, in some way, affiliated with these particular swords? Nah... no way. It was too close. This was another link between Taisho Shuusaka and Higurashi Kagome. Somehow, someway, the cases were entwined. The missing businessman, and the missing and dead women were linked. Now he just needed to find out the why's and how's. Something would eventually lead back to the one's responsible.

He turned around, and caught the old man before he walked away. "You know Kagome?"

"Knew her! She was an odd girl, that miko, but loyal as they come." He chuckled hard and patted his bent knee. "Yep. A time traveler! Can you believe it!" His laughter rang out over the rocky desolate land.

No, he couldn't believe it. Well, for a minute there he thought that he was on to something, but it seemed the old man had more than a few screws loose. He decided to give it one more try. "How does Kagome know Taisho Shuusaka?"

"Shuusaka? Shu... Oh!" His eyes lit up as a gush of remembrance flooded through his feeble mind. "Yes, yes, Shuusaka - Sesshomaru, whatever. That damn dog gave me a lot of grief you know!" The detective did his very best to hold a straight face and not roll his eyes in frustration. "Are you saying that Shuusaka, and this Sesshomaru you speak of, are the same person?"

Suddenly the old man became wary. His eyes narrowed and he looked around nervously as he started to back away. "I got things to do, boy! You should leave before you get me killed."

Strangely enough, Naoaki saw real fear in the old man's eyes as he searched the skies, while making his retreat. In one last ditch effort the detective asked, "Is Kagome in danger from Shuusaka? Do you know where she is?"

"That Kagome was a nice girl. She's long gone now. She disappeared, you know. Inuyasha was never the same."

'Damn!' He was getting nowhere here. This clue was going downhill fast. Other than Eri, he now knew that Kagome was connected in a second way to Shuusaka, but he still had no idea how. "One more question, old man, and I'll be on my way. Is Taisho Shuusaka responsible for the disappearance of Higurashi Kagome?"

"Hell no! It was that damn well. It took her away and sealed the gate to the future."

With a snort of slightly amused disgust, Naoaki resigned himself to the realization that Totosai was a delusion old man and nothing that he said could be used to find Kagome. "Arigato." He murmured with a slight bow. He then headed back to his car. When he sat down and buckled up, he took a minute to pull out his notebook. In the pages he jotted down...

_Taisho Shuusaka linked to Higurashi Kagome. (A) Through Eri Watanabe (B) Through Antique Swords_

Perhaps it was time to pay Kagome's mother a visit? Maybe Maya could make some sense of what the old man said.

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed the long chapter. Maybe that will make up for my tardiness of this update. Please review and let me know what you think.

Ja ne


	10. Chapter 10 Tracking the Miko Kagome

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 10 - Tracking the Miko Kagome**

A/N: I'm really happy with all of the wonderful reviews that I received for the last chapter. You all are great! I am grateful to you for traveling with me through Madman. I've got some awesome ideas for future chapters, so keep an eye out for updates. Thanks!

* * *

"You finished with my sword yet old man? It's been five damn days and you told me only three! I fucking flew all the way from the U.S. to get you to fix it and I _need_ to get back home! I've had that sword since I was a pup, and you better not have lost it, you hoary lunatic!" Totosai sat impassively watching the idiot wolf going through a tantrum. 

"Hmm," Totosai muttered, looking off thoughtfully. "Where did I put that thing?" The wolf growled furiously and stomped several paces to the right before making an about face to storm back in the other direction.

"I knew it! I just fucking knew it!" Kouga snarled as he turned to repeat the furious path he was beating into the floor of the cave. 'The heat in this place is like Hell!' He couldn't believe this shit. He had only intended to be here for a few days, and he was now pushing a full week. He was the top wolf of the western worlds' largest survival gear corporation. He was a busy man. People expected shit from him. He couldn't just hang around here till this old fart finally got around to giving him back his katana!

"This is all Shuusaka's fault! That fucking prick told me to bring it here. I should have known better than to listen to that bastard," Kouga continued to rant, but his mention of the demon lord sparked Totosai's memory of a recent visit from a Toyko police detective.

"Strangest thing happened yesterday..." Totosai began, but Kouga quickly cut him off.

"Damn it you old geezer! I don't have time for your long drawn out stories! I've got a plane to catch and I need my sword!" He couldn't believe the old bastard was jerking his chain like this! As the wolf prince once more turned furiously to continue his anxious pacing, long dark hair trailed out behind him. Finely tailored brown slacks brushed together as the thump of Italian leather loafers echoed against the stone walls and those were the only sounds to be heard. After awhile the old Smithy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fine then. I guess you've lost interest in Kagome after all these years."

Kouga's pacing and verbal explicative came screeching to a halt at the mention of Kagome. It had been hundreds of years since her name was spoken, though he thought of her often. He clenched his fists and breathed in deeply, causing muscles to bulge across his broad chest. The black button-up shirt that he was wearing stretched tight, accenting his lean, toned physique. "Talk old man," Kouga growled, flashing his long canines in warning.

Totosai laughed maniacally, and began slapping his knee with enthusiasm. "That shut you up pretty good!" However, the amusing moment was ended when Kouga grabbed him by the shirt and snatched him up violently.

"Don't fuck with me you old bastard!" Kouga was loosing his well-cultured patience. He hadn't been this pissed in decades. First the sword, and now the bastard was teasing him about Kagome? Totosai wasn't too many years from natural death, but the wolf was seriously considering helping him on his way.

"Okay! Okay, " Totosai cried as he held up his hands in a placating manner. "Didn't mean to get you all riled up."

"I was 'riled up' two days ago when you told me that you didn't have my sword ready! Now tell me what you know about Kagome, or I'm gonna send you on to hell a few years early!" The wolf youkai shook the old coot a couple of times for emphasis, and then dropped him in a heap on the cave floor.

"Young folks have no respect for their elders!" Totosai grumbled as he stumbled over to a large flat boulder rubbed smooth on the top. He crawled up on it and crossed his spindly legs. "I had a visitor the other day. A law man. He was asking questions about Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. Was real interested when I mentioned a miko named Kagome. Asked if Taisho Shuusaka was a threat to Kagome. Odd, don't ya think, that he would wonder such a thing about a time traveling girl that disappeared five hundred years ago?"

"Fuck! Sesshomaru told me that you were half crazy. My woman wasn't a damn time traveler! That's ridiculous!" Kouga snarled. He knew Kagome. She was from... uh... Let's see... she lived in that village near... Come to think of it, he wasn't sure where she was from, but she wasn't a _time traveler_! That was just insane.

"Are you calling me a liar, you young punk? I tell you that she was! I had it first hand from Saya, the spirit of the sheath of So'unga, who resided for a time in the future world of the miko Kagome. Inuyasha was able to travel to and from the future with the girl, or without, through the old Bone Eater's well on the edge of Inuyasha's forest. Stupid wolf. I'm old, but at least I ain't stupid."

Totosai squeaked when a hard fist came down on his bald head. "Ow!"

"Watch your mouth Totosai," Kouga growled. He then turned away to think on what the old man said. Kagome was from a future time? How was it possible that he never saw it before? She had dressed pretty strangely, and she didn't really act like the other women he had ever met, but he chalked that up to her being human. Hell, he wasn't exactly friends with too many humans back then. He really didn't have much to go on. "From the future you say?" Something about that made him pause. Could it be? Had she been sent back to her time? Was that why she disappeared without a trace? Was it possible that Kagome didn't die, but had actually been transported back to some far off future time?

Kouga chuckled and shook his head. "Kagome was a time traveler. Well if that don't beat all." The lean dark haired wolf prince looked up to the old man, who was now busy digging through a pile of burlap sacs, looking for his katana. "Hey old man, what are you getting at? Are you saying Kagome is alive? Now? In this time?"

Without even looking up, Totosai responded to the question. "Hmm... I don't know, but I'll bet you that damn dog demon could tell you the answer to that. It was him that the law man came here asking about. Him and the two Fang's of Inu no Taisho."

"Here it is!" Totosai exclaimed triumphantly. He pulled out Kouga's family heirloom and held it up high. "I knew I left it around here somewhere."

Kouga walked over and snatched the blade. He gave it a hard once over, checking the quality of the repair. "Nice job old man. I guess I won't kill you after all." He then reached in his pocket and flipped out his wallet. After paying the Sword Smith, he headed for his rental car, but stopped just before opening the door. He looked back and asked, "You have the name of that cop that came by here?"

Totosai fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the card that the officer left. He handed it over to the wolf, and Kouga read the name. "Detective Naoaki Kobayashi, Tokyo Police Department, 43 Precinct. Well, detective, I may just be giving you a call. Mind if I keep this, old man?" Totosai simply waved a hand uncaringly, and pocketed the bundle of yen.

On his way to the car Kouga thought about Kagome.

Could she really be alive, here and now? Had that bastard of a dog known it all along? Kouga growled low and deep as he cranks up the sedan. It would be just like that asshole to try and keep her all to himself. The wolf's heart tripled its beat, as he thought over the possibility that Kagome could really be alive; that he may have the opportunity to see her again. He had so much that he wanted to say. So much that he wanted to tell her. He was such a pup when he met her, and clueless on the ways of women. Things change, people change.

There is unfinished business between the two of them, and though it was a long shot, the prospect of seeing her smiling face again was enough to make him whine in happiness. Kouga flipped out his cell phone and dialed his secretary.

"Hello Charlotte. Nice to hear from you too. Yeah, I finally got the sword, but there's been an unexpected circumstance that's going to detour my plans for a few days. 'Huh', me too. If you will, please cancel my flight, and reschedule any meetings until I return. Thanks, Charlotte. Sayonara." The wolf prince ended the call, and returned his attention to the winding narrow road ahead. His low voice whispered in the silence, "Damn, I'd forgotten how much I missed her."

* * *

The air left Kagome's lungs in a gasp of relief. Sesshomaru had arrived. Thank the Kami above! For a minute there things were looking pretty bad for her. Being surrounded by a group of machine-gun wielding maniacs was definitely a switch from being surrounded by bloodthirsty youkai hoping to eat you. You still got the bad feeling that you were going to be hamburger meat, but you had a whole new set of emotions bombarding you. There were new problems too. For one, she couldn't purify any of these people because they were all human. Well, if you didn't count that poor freakish beast practically digging a hole beneath the leaves in order to get as far away from her and Sesshomaru as possible. Here she was not in the presence of monsters hoping to rip her to shreds, she was in the presence of murderers with some insane agenda against miko's who could fill her full of holes. 

Neither was a place that she wanted to be.

When Sesshomaru arrived the tables were turned. He was fierce and a centuries old warrior. Though their enemy was carrying the latest in high power semi-automatic weapons, Sesshomaru was fast, ruthless, and cunning.

Juria watched the impressive youkai land behind the brazen young woman standing in the sights of her Glock. Damn he was a fine looking creature. He radiated masculine energy. His eyes were the most stunning color of gold that she had ever seen. The closest thing to it would be those of a tiger, yet his were lighter, and sparkling with highlights. He did nothing, now, to hide two pairs of magenta markings decorating his sculptured cheekbones, the unusual blue crescent moon on his forehead, or the crimson slashes of color over his eyelids. His body was tall and lean, but sculptured to perfection beneath navy blue slacks and a solid gray button up shirt. The collar was open a bit, showing the smooth skin of his neck and accenting a strong jaw.

He stood facing her and her men, as if he had not a care in the world that they were armed to the teeth. There was the hint of a sneer in his eyes and dangling from the tiniest corner of his lips. He stared her down with a look that promised death and Juria knew that, given the first opportunity, this delicious piece of male youkai, would cut her pretty slender throat.

"Well, Taisho, Looks like you made it just in time. I was about to escort your friend here back to the base. I believe that you are familiar with the facility?" Juria said, while moving the aim of her gun from the miko to the youkai. All it would take is one successful hit and the youkai sedative would course through his blood stream rendering him unconscious. She fought the smile that threatened to curl her full lips. He was all hers now.

Sesshomaru regarded the bitch that had assaulted his person and hunted him like an animal of prey. He wanted to rip her face off and leave her to bleed out at his feet. The urge to kill her was strong, but the safety of his charge stayed his hand. Kagome was in danger of being shot, if not intentionally, then by a stray projectile. He would survive a gunshot wound, though he would rather not experience the scalding pain if possible. Kagome may not. Even one bullet wound to her fragile ningen body could be deadly.

"Leave, and I will let you live."

As insane as it was, Kagome had to stop the urge to giggle. She was surrounded by danger, yet she couldn't help thinking that in five hundred years Sesshomaru could have come up with a new line. Maybe she could think up a new one for him? Obviously his creativity level was lacking.

Sesshomaru ignored the almost imperceptible snort from the woman standing behind him. What Kagome found humorous in this situation was beyond him. It was the same incredulity that he felt each time he had met her in battle. She was an enigma of mysteriously changing emotions. When he landed, her fear was so thick in the air that his beast roared for release, but now she stands behind him forcing back girlish giggles. He was sure that as long as they both lived he would never be able to figure her out.

Juria smirked and nodded her head in barely restrained mirth. "Looks to me, youkai, that we have the upper hand. Hotaka-sama wants your head, but that's just because he thinks we can't contain you. I've been working on that, see, and I've got it all figured out. I've arranged for a nice new room for you, big boy, and once inside it, you have no hope of escape."

"Your weapons are useless against me, and I am no fool. You will not risk hitting the miko. She is the key to your missions' success." Shuusaka's voice cut through the quiet of the forest in a low velvet baritone. The sound of it sent a shiver up Juria's spine. "You're a smart one, youkai. Smarter than any of the ones before you, but that won't help you here, because here you don't have to be smart. You just have to be faster than a bullet."

"Run!" Kagome screamed. There was something in Juria's gun that would bring Sesshomaru down. She was sure of it! She grabbed his arm and he seemed to sense her urgency, because instead of fighting her panicked demand, he slipped his arm around her waist and took to the air faster than a human can blink their eye. The sound of gunfire rang out, as well as the shout of the group's commander. "The miko must be taken alive! Aim only for the youkai!"

A bullet from the wench's handgun grazed his right thigh, but otherwise passed him by. Immediately the wound pulsed with stinging pain, but then went mysteriously numb. Alarmingly the numbness seemed to be spreading, but his mind was distracted by the explosion of pain in his back and through his gut. A whoosh of air left him with the impact and he struggled to stay in flight.

Kagome clung to him desperately, and he shielded her the best that he could. He felt her flinch once, but he was unsure if she were injured. The wind blew passed them entirely too fast for him to scent her blood. Another searing flash of pain struck his right leg, just below the knee He cursed his misfortune, but finally managed to get them both out of range of the weapon's fire.

They traveled for a short time until he could not continue at the current altitude. He needed to land, rest, and recover the blood loss. When he was sure that they were a safe distance from their pursuers he lowered them to a mountain spring trickling from a rocky edifice and into a small pool of clear water. Gnarled pines graced the hillside around them, but he had no time for sightseeing. He set them down next to the pool and Kagome slid to the ground.

Now he could smell her blood, and it had an overpowering effect of him. He was consumed with furious heat. The wish to taste her crimson life was almost as strong as the fury he felt towards those who harmed her. He was considering what to do, when he suddenly lost control of his right leg. It simply collapsed from beneath him, sending him to one knee. His eyes opened wide in surprise, having not expected the numbing sensation from the wound on his thigh to have spread in such a manner.

He was also bleeding from a wound in his calf that would not heal, because he felt the bullet still wedged in his flesh. Obviously they were too far away from the firearm when it shot for the bullet to have passed through. The same went for the bullet lodged in his gut. It was fortunate that it was still there, for if it had actually passed through him, the miko would have most likely been dead.

A soft feminine moan of pain gained his attention and Shuusaka looked up from studying the thigh wound to Kagome who was pushing herself up. She reached out and clamped her hand over her bleeding thigh, drawing his eyes to her long lean legs. The flesh would be marred there with a scar, and for some reason this displeased him. He came up beside her and grasped her wrist. She looked up and met his eyes, which gazed back at her asking for her trust. Kagome nodded once, clenching her teeth to keep from crying out in pain. He pulled her hand away and gave her wound a closer inspection.

The injury was deep, and left a gash over four centimeters long mid-thigh. It was bleeding freely, and the thick red fluid streamed down her leg to drip on the ground. He kept his eyes trained on hers, and she watched him curiously, as he lowered his lips to the wound. Her big blue eyes widened with a hiss when he closed his mouth over the injury. She tasted like heaven. Her blood was strong and pure, full of her tingling miko power. It danced over his tongue and down his throat, pooling in his stomach with molten warmth.

Kagome looked down at the demon who was now suckling her flesh wound with his warm mouth. At first it hurt, really bad, when his lips closed on the stinging, burning injury. Now the pain seemed to be fading, and she sighed in relief just before his long, agile tongue took a slow lingering tour over the length of the wound. It almost tickled, and she couldn't believe this was happening. Sesshomaru was on his knees beside her, licking her wound, and he seemed to be enjoying it. His eyes were closed now, as if he were savoring the taste, and Kagome found herself feeling something completely unexpected in the crazy situation that they were now in.

A deep tingling warmth caressed the soft tissues of her inner womanly flesh. Each lap of his long tongue sent the most delicious heat coursing through her veins. Dear Kami above, he was turning her on! She fought the urge to pull away, to save herself the humiliation of letting him know how deeply the innocent caress was affecting her, but instead she forced herself to remain perfectly still. She had a very dangerous demon, with very sharp teeth, latched onto her thigh. Things could get much worse if she made the wrong move.

Oddly enough, the burning sting of the injury was disappearing fast. She cocked her head curiously to the side and watched his mouth, opened wide, and moving sensuously against the smooth, lightly tanned skin of her thigh. With his eyes shut, she was able to openly study his face. Over his eyelids he had a slim strip of crimson color, and before she could stop herself she reached out and traced the simple splash of red softly with the tip of her fingertip. The skin there was the softest she had ever felt, and his long dark eyelashes tickled against her fingertip,

She half expected him to jerk from her touch and give her a chastising scowl, but instead he seemed to relax even more, and slipped his tongue once again over the rapidly mending wound. Kagome knew that he was healing her. She could feel the flesh tickling and tingling as it repaired beneath his careful ministrations. There was no pain now, only the feel of his soft tongue lapping over her flesh.

When he released her, he met her eyes and Kagome gasped at the intense look. His golden irises were swimming unnaturally with a slowly spiraling stream of red, and the tips of his long sharp fangs hung down to brush over his pale bottom lip. A trickle of her blood traced a slow path down the corner of his mouth and Kagome reached out with her fingertips to wipe it away. He didn't move at all. He just sat there looking at her, burning her up with his eyes.

He then shifted away in one swift movement, and pulled his right leg up. That was when Kagome saw that he was injured. He was injured badly. There was blood on his back, and soaking down the gray of his shirt. There was another wound just above mid-calf. She quickly scooted over to him and he glared at her when she kneeled by his feet and reached out to touch the leg, hoping to get a look at the wound and assess the damage.

"The projectile is still imbedded in the wound, as is the one on my back," Sesshomaru said rather nonchalantly for a guy with several bullet holes in him. His voice was just a bit gravelly, and the long fangs distorted his words just a little.

"I'll have to remove them, but I don't have the stuff that I need to do it with here," Kagome said. "Let me take a look at it." He ignored her, making her ire rise, and then as if he knew that she was getting angry, he reached down and pulled the leg of his trousers up so that she could see the point of injury. For the time being, she ignored his highly defined muscles and focused on the small hole from which blood was continuing to flow.

Kagome, once more, reached out to touch the injury, needing to know how deeply the bullet resided, but came up short when the tiny entrance wound pulsed as if it were alive. "Ugh! What's happening?" She looked up to find Sesshomaru clenching his teeth and staring up at the sky. She looked back to the wound, which was now pulsing with a regular beat, and watched in gross fascination as the tiny projectile was forced from his body. It pushed through the opening, and fell to the ground. Before her eyes the wound closed and the skin smoothed over to perfection once again.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. "That's amazing."

"Hn," Sesshomaru grunted, but he was already concentrating on the bullet embedded in his gut. This one was taking much more effort to discard.

Kagome grew more concerned when she visibly witnessed signs of stress coming from the normally collected demon lord. His eyes were clamped shut and she was afraid his teeth might actually break from the pressure that he was putting on his angular jaw. Tiny beads of perspiration broke out over his forehead, and his fists remained clenched by his side.

Finally, when he slumped forward loose and relaxed, Kagome knew the bullet was out. She scurried around to his back and pulled the tattered shirt up to check the area. The hole in his back was beginning to seal, and there on the ground was the remains of the bullet that was, seconds before, lodged deeply in his body.

"I so wish that I could do that," Kagome whistled in appreciation. "That has got to be the most amazing thing that I've ever seen."

She tossed the bullet fragment aside and stood up, testing her own injury and finding no trace of it remaining. "You healed it completely! Thanks. That's great. You're like a traveling med center." Her bubbling laughter was full of nervous energy from the near brush with death. She couldn't believe how close they had come to getting killed.

"Those people are crazy, Sess... I mean, Shuusaka. They are really insane. You should have heard them praising their leader. Some guy they called Hotaka-sama. Kagome told him about the woman and what she said before he had arrived. Sesshomaru, though he was sitting still, allowing his wounds to heal, listened intently to everything she said. Finally he moved to pull himself up.

"They will be following soon. We should get cleaned up and be on our way." When he tried to put some weight on his right leg it was unnaturally shaky, leaving him to wonder if he could even walk. The limb was sluggish and lacking full feeling from his ankle to his upper hipbone. He was sure that it was the bullet from the wench's gun. From what the miko said, the female known as Juria, thought to overpower him somehow. Obviously the bullets were conditioned with a substance designed to enter his system causing severe paralysis. Probably the same serum used against him in the limousine.

He was lucky that it merely grazed him.

The first step that he took, went terribly wrong and he stumbled just a bit. The miko gasped and rushed to his side. She was hovering about like a worried mother hen and it was both irritating as well as endearing. Why he found it endearing he had no idea, but he really had more important things to consider at the moment. Like, how he was supposed to save them both when he could not even walk.

"What's wrong, Sess... sorry, Shuusaka? Do you need more time for the wounds to heal?" Kagome asked, and she bent down to take a look at the... completely healed flesh on his calf? She stood up and found him giving her a rather irritated look. Nothing new there.

"The problem comes from the shallow wound on my thigh. There is something strange that is impeding the healing of the wound. It has numbed the nerves in my muscles," Shuusaka replied. He tried to take another step, but found it nearly impossible to keep his balance. Not surprisingly the miko was quick to investigate.

Kagome knelt down and gently pulled back the torn cloth in order to take a look at the almost superficial wound. It was deep enough to hurt pretty bad, but not so deep that his youkai healing abilities shouldn't have repaired the damage by now. With her fingertips, she softly pushed at the flesh just around the wound. It was bleeding freely still, and that concerned her.

"It must be some sort of poison that was on the bullet. Smart," Kagome murmured, and Sesshomaru begrudgingly had to agree. A full hit by a bullet of that nature could render him helpless for a time. The ones who created it were not to be taken lightly, and the ones wielding that power even less.

"A formidable foe," Sesshomaru said in a deep rumble, as he looked off in the distance. How soon until they found them? Hours? Minutes?

Suddenly he felt a tingle from the miko's soft warm fingers. It was faint, but there nonetheless. The tickle of healing proceeded a rise in Kagome's powers, causing his own jaki to perk up instinctually. Kagome, amazingly, seemed not to notice, or at least she didn't care. That fact of course was a bit unsettling, for even now with his dark power swirling around her, she managed to brush him off as if he were of insignificant worth to merit her concern.

When she finished, she removed her hands and looked up at him with a stunning smile, and Sesshomaru knew that the image would forever be etched in his memory. With the cessation of her power flux, his own jaki receded and settled in his blood, joints, organ and bone. Kagome never once seemed to notice and she made no comment on it whatsoever.

"I can't completely reverse the effects of the drug without practice, but I was able to mend the wound by purifying some of the toxin. It's not bleeding anymore." She said cheerfully, and Sesshomaru finally pulled his eyes away from her to inspect her handiwork. As she said, the bleeding had ceased, leaving a healing scab and some sensation returning to his leg, although he wasn't exactly sure that he was appreciative of the now sensitive nerve endings, which were now stinging throughout his leg. He stepped forward, carefully testing his weight, and found that while there was more feeling than before, he still did not have full use of the limb.

Kagome, of course, had the perfect solution to his debilitating issue, by slithering beneath his arm and shoulder, in a pitiful attempt to assist his movements. Her vertically challenged form could not hope to be of much use, and her small firm warmth fitting so snugly against him was playing havoc with his senses. She smelled incredible, and he had to remind himself that they were currently in the midst of a life and death situation. Now was not the time to ponder his feelings on the miko.

"Woman, you try my patience," he said, in an attempt to remove her from his person, however, she ignored his complaint just as she ignored his flaring jaki. Instead of moving away, she wrapped her left arm around his middle, and looked up at his expectantly.

"Well, at least try," she said, in a tone that sounded a little like she was talking to an unruly child fighting the first taste of broccoli. It had the desired effect, however, because now he meant to prove his point. She, a mere mortal female, could not support his towering weight.

He put his foot out, slowly, giving her an opportunity to adjust to the awkward weight differential, and surprisingly he found that he underestimated her. Again. She was a strong little thing, beneath all of that creamy skin and fragile human bone. He took another step, hating the fact that he was reduced to such a demeaning situation, and silently renewing his vow to make those who have offended him pay with their lives.

Fortunately, the woman at his side was not one to take advantage of his weakened state, and though he did not know her as well as others, he did know her enough to feel assured that she would never use this moment against him. Kagome was an honorable woman, human, or no, that lived to help others, even a cold, calculating inuyoukai as himself.

Walking slowly alongside the handsome daiyoukai, Kagome was not as calm and collected as she was trying desperately to appear. In the back of her mind she worried, half expecting Juria and her rejects to drop in from magically appearing ropes in the sky to swipe their lives away like useless refuse. Strangely enough, that problem was shifting priority. Maybe it was the years of practice at being stalked by maniacal killers, but the feelings of self-preservation were taking a backseat to other, more personal, and highly uncomfortable feelings.

Feelings like the probing warmth that spread through her body at his touch. His tall form dwarfed her own, but it felt right. Beneath his shoulder she felt safety and comfort, but those were heavily laced with a heated sensation that swelled from the womanly region below her bellybutton. Great Kami, he was making her hot.

She looked into the forest ahead, and tried to redirect that train of thoughts and feelings by focusing her attention on the non-existent path ahead.

As much as she hoped he hadn't noticed, he had.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?"

The amusement, combined with the decrease in octaves, gave his voice such a deep intriguing timber that Kagome almost forgot to be upset. "No. Nothing's wrong," she replied as innocently as possible considering that the close proximity of his voice to her ear had only added to her discomfort by giving her a ridiculous bevy of goosebumps flooding over her skin.

He made no further comment, thankfully, but Kagome could have sworn that his grip on her was tighter than before. She had half expected to land in a heap when she tried to help him, and was actually pretty surprised when he allowed the contact. She figured it was nothing to do with her, and much to do with the enemy on their tails, but now she was beginning to wonder.

Memories of an inviting hardness pressed against her, inadvertently flooding her vision, and she cursed her potty mind. This wasn't helping at all. It seemed that her lack of any loving lately was messing with her good sense. Sesshomaru was an inuyoukai, after all, and she knew that he could smell the subtle changes of her body. It was pretty embarrassing to say the least.

At the renewed intensity of her hearty arousal, Sesshomaru was sorely tempted to insist that she remove herself from his person. The scent was proving to be more of a challenge than he ever anticipated, and he found himself in much the same state as he had when she was dreaming at the cabin. His centuries of reluctance to involve himself with any human female, was fast slipping away in a veil of useless resolutions. He actually began to generate arguments against his own morals, wondering what it was again that he hated so extensively about mortal females?

His father came to mind, and the Inu no Taisho's willingness to throw everything away for the sake of a human woman. At the time he had a considerably narrow minded view to the acceptance of a mortal as his father's replacement for his late mother. As most do in youth, he rebelled against his father's decision, un-accepting that a weak human woman could ever inspire the same rush of emotion in his great father that his own powerful youkai mother had. His father met his resistance with disappointed resignation, and never pressed him to accept the union even unto the day of his death.

His father left him to carry the burdens of a half-brother tainted with human blood, and a legacy of lands and holdings in turmoil. He met the challenge as befitting one of his standing, using his lingering anger to strike down the enemy with no remorse. In those days he made a name for himself as a ferocious and domineering ruler to be feared as much as respected. He plowed through human and youkai alike, seeking to increase his power and secure his role as supreme conqueror of Japan.

Fortunately, there were many factors that put a halt to his seething tirade. Being bested by the very hanyou that he despised, causing the loss of his left arm, was a rude awakening at best. Being on the receiving end of the Wind Scar, also gave him insight to his shortcomings. Were he truly invincible, he would not have been caught off guard by a sword wielding barbarian such as Inuyasha. Interesting what defeat can do to clear ones mind.

Perhaps the greatest factor in revealing the folly of his conquering path was the persistent presence of two particular human women. Kagome and Rin both gave him reason to pause, as he had never encountered such gentle and brave souls in all his days. Both were human, and both had proven many times over their unwavering loyalty and kindness. It gave him a sense of peace where his father was concerned, but still did nothing to waver his views on mating with a mortal.

Was he just being stubborn?

Perhaps. In the age of technology where youkai were on the verge of complete extinction, Sesshomaru had to wonder if his highly maintained views, were a withering waste of time. Had he spent centuries alone needlessly out of some stubborn resolve remaining from the days of his youth? Possibly.

"Are you feeling a little better?" Kagome softly asked, breaking his disturbing, yet somewhat enlightening, train of thought. It was then that he realized his leg was much improved, and he could, most likely, continue on his own.

"No," was his answer, which surprised him, as he could easily have rid himself of her burdensome contact. Instead he had deceived her in order to keep her close.

"Oh. Okay," Kagome replied. "Maybe it just takes a little time."

"Hn," he replied, as if it were no consequence. Why was he acting like a one hundred-year-old pup, instead of the one thousand-year-old demon that he was?

Mmmm... soft female...

"Your scent is not offensive to my nose," Sesshomaru said then, completely shocking Kagome out of her wayward thoughts. She turned to him in surprise, and was not expecting to find his face so close to her own. His eyes were amazing in the sunlight. They glimmered and sparkled with dozens of shades of gold. She was trapped there, in that gaze, faintly wondering at this new and improved Sesshomaru. "Um... thank you?" she whispered. She supposed that was as close to a compliment as she was going to get from him, so she accepted it in kind. That still didn't lessen the surprise his words brought, or the stirring of her insides as he gave her a look that hinted at a vulnerability she had never thought was there. His eyes were the clue to his emotions, and he guarded them well. Why was he opening the floodgates for her? It intrigued her, and scared the living daylights out of her.

In an attempt to bring an end to the awkward moment, Kagome presented her idea of where they could go. "I was thinking," she said, and had to stop and glare at him when he made an odd noise from his chest. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was thinking about somewhere that we can go. I have a friend that will help. We need clothes and food." At his raised brow, she changed her statement. "Fine. _I _need clothing and food. I also want to send word to my family that I'm okay. But the main reason is that he has a top of the line computer system and connections in places that might just help in our search for information on these people. I don't see him often, so maybe they wouldn't think to check there. Besides, it seems that nowhere that we go will be safe for long."

He didn't like the fact that her 'friend' was a man. There was no denying the sudden, and unwelcome, stab of jealousy at hearing her speak of another male so familiarly. His arm tightened a fraction around her small frame, and he had to force the growl down that elected to rise in his throat. It was ridiculous the way he was feeling about the woman, and it was un-nerving to find that his beast was growing increasingly possessive.

He wasn't sure if he agreed because he thought that it was, certainly, a good idea, or if he simply wanted to deny his own strange feelings and force the issue, as if it were of no consequence to him. Either way, he gave his answer. "We will seek this friend of yours."

Now completely irritated with himself for acting like a horny teenager, and not the intelligent, noble, human-wench-hating, inuyoukai that he was, Sesshomaru decided to distance himself from the thorn that had attached itself to his side; literally. "I do believe that the effects of the toxin have worn off now."

Kagome looked up from her intense study of the blue-green bush just ahead and a little to the right, with a surprised, and dare she say, disappointed, look on her face. She had just begun to relax into the whole touching Sesshomaru thing, and was kind of enjoying herself. Well, as long as she kept seventy percent of her mind focused on the flora in the near vicinity. It helped to keep her mind off of the fresh, masculine, scent of the mind bogglingly handsome demon lord wrapped around her like a warm toasty blanket of sexy man flesh.

_'Dear Kami, my mind has completely fallen into the gutter,'_ Kagome inwardly groaned. When Sesshomaru pulled away from her, releasing what little weight that he had actually balanced against her, she forced herself not to miss his warmth. Even though it was probably the nicest walk that she ever had in her entire life, Kagome knew better than to fool herself. Just because Sesshomaru was now Shuusaka, who seemed to find her mildly attractive for whatever reason, it did not mean that it would go any further than that. His disdain against the mortal female ran Inuyasha deep, and the chances of him swaying from his high and mighty values were slim to none.

There was no use in going down that road again.

If she learned anything from the years of waiting around for Inuyasha to realize that he loved her, it was not to waste time and pain on futureless relationships. With a sigh, Kagome pushed the lingering cozy feeling from his warm strong body away and focused on transversing the terrain through the forest.

Just when she was feeling herself again, having finally lost that stupid fuzzy feeling and was thinking pretty clearly, Sesshomaru threw a wrench in her chain. "We will fly from here. My jaki is once more balanced."

Kagome wanted to cry at the injustice. 'Crap. That means more touching. Here we go again.'

* * *

Juria continued her steady, pacing sprint through the forest in pursuit of her prey. Behind her were her three most trusted men. All lean, intelligent, killing machines. Men trained to hunt, track and subdue dangerous creatures of myth and legend. Three idiots that were gonna pay through the ass when she got them back to the base. 

Three fucking sub-machine guns, and not one of those bumbling fools could bring down the God damned youkai. _'Hell,_ she thought angrily, _'I didn't do much better. Hotaka is gonna lay a fucking egg when he finds out that they escaped._ Her legs moved with well-trained agility as she expertly maneuvered the rocky terrain. If they were unable to catch up with them by the time they hit the North Pass, she would be forced to call in the trucks. They should come out on the highway an additional thirteen miles from there. That of course was not an option, because if she had to abandon the search here, and take it to the city, Hotaka would have her ass in a sling. "Fuck," she breathed as she effortlessly leaped over a fallen log.

* * *

A/N: Hehe! I'm on a roll! Woot! I had a dry spell, but things are looking up. Also, I will be doing some editing of the previous chapters in the next few days, so if you see Madman popping up several times on the main page, that's the reason. Thanks again, for your reviews. I really love to hear from you. 


	11. Chapter 11 Mystery of the Missing Miko

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

**Chapter 11 - The Mystery of the Missing Miko**

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish, that I could own Sesshomaru, but Rumiko Takahashi has that distinct pleasure all her own.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little later than usual. I've been absorbed in writing the last two chapters of _The House of Lemons_. If any of you are interested, drop in and pay us a visit. SilentDeath and I have recently added 3 chapters. _Suffocation_ _by SilentDeath_ is a Kag/Sess one-shot, and I've added _Kagome's Teenie Weenie Bikini _also Kag/Sess, as well as _Allure,_ which is my naughtiest one-shot yet, featuring multiple pairings. You can find _The House of Lemons_ at and (blushes at shameless plug)

$$$Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I love to hear from you, even if it's just a quick note. Your reviews let me know that you are out there, and reading my story and enjoying it. They keep me motivated, so keep them coming.

* * *

Detective Kobayashi Naoaki pulled the pictures of the two swords from his pocket and handed them to Maya Higurashi. He was hoping that Maya would make a connection between Taisho Shuusaka and the mysterious collection of ancient artifacts that he discovered hidden in the businessman's home. Both Taisho and Higurashi remained unfound, and he was still trying to ascertain the relationship between them both in hopes that it would lead him to the ones responsible. 

"Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga?" Maya muttered in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Kobayashi asked. _'She knows them,'_ he thought, remembering the name, Inuyasha, distinctly mentioned by the swordsmith, Totosai. He waited patiently for her to talk, realizing the benefits of silence for drawing information from a person. Naokai had to admit, that watching Maya was no difficult task at all, because she was a particularly pretty woman, with an air of kindness around her. The past few days of worrying over her daughter were putting a strain on her natural good looks. Dark circles were shading her eyes and she appeared exhausted at best. He wondered if she were sleeping at all?

Maya looked up from the photographs with a sad smile. She was almost positive that the picture in her right hand was the famous sword carried by her daughter's lost love, the half demon, Inuyasha. What she didn't understand, was how this pertained to Kagome's disappearance? "I guess that I'm a little confused, detective. What does Inuyasha's sword have to do with my missing daughter?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me," Naokai said in a tired voice. "Can you tell me about this man, Inuyasha? Was Kagome in a relationship with him?"

Maya gave a sad, nervous laugh. "I guess you could say that, but I assure you, Inuyasha had nothing to do with Kagome's disappearance."

His interest was peaked. The lady sounded strong in her belief, but he couldn't ignore the possibility of it. This man called Inuyasha, was somehow connected Taisho, and that meant a direct connection between Higurashi and Taisho through him. "Can you be more specific, Higurashi-san?"

Maya answered him with ease. The fact that Inuyasha was sealed beyond the well, five hundred years in the past, wasn't something that she could tell the handsome man questioning her, but years of practice made her answer sound more than acceptable. "I can tell you this, detective. Inuyasha is not from Tokyo." A little lie never hurt. "My daughter has not spoken a word to him in over three years. They were torn apart through no making of their own. You see, Inuyasha was Kagome's protector. He would never let anything happen to her."

Kobayashi jotted the pertinent information in his little notebook, but looked up when she stopped speaking. "I know this is difficult for you Higurashi-san, but I assure you, anything that you can think of will help." Strangely she scoffed at him as if this line of questioning were ridiculous. Naokai sat his pen down and gave her his complete attention. "Please, Maya. This is important."

"No. This is a waste of time." Maya answered, growing impatient with the man, though she knew she shouldn't be. It was the lack of sleep talking. That and the constant knot of agony that had settled in her stomach the day that Kagome was taken from her family. She sighed and rubbed her cheeks with the palms of her hands. It wasn't Naokai's fault, and he didn't deserve her ire. She was just tired. So very, very tired. "Sumimasen, Kobayashi-sama. I am not feeling myself these days."

Naokai shook his head in understanding. He could see the woman's pain shining in her unusual dark blue eyes. If he weren't carrying the badge labeling him as an officer of the law, he would have reached out to comfort her with an embrace. He wanted to hold her and offer what solace that he could, but that would be conduct unbefitting of an officer.

_Damn_, he silently cursed. He needed to focus on his job. This wasn't a social call. "I understand, Higurashi-san. You are under a great suffering right now. These questions may sound insignificant to you, but if I can trace this Inuyasha character, there's a chance that someone connected to him is responsible for the kidnapping of your daughter. If I can find them, there's a good chance that we can find Kagome. Inuyasha may not be directly responsible, but someone he knows, or works for, could be responsible. Look, it's a long shot, but right now, it's one of the only shots that we've got."

Maya took a deep breath, and released it slowly. He was only trying to help. He doesn't know who Inuyasha was. He wouldn't know that Inuyasha would have happily lain down his life to protect Kagome. "That's just impossible, detective."

Naokai was trying not to lose his patience with the distraught woman, but her answers were beginning to really grate on his nerves. How could she be so positive that Inuyasha didn't orchestrate the kidnapping? How can she be so sure that he wasn't connected to a black-market selling of rare antiquities? "How, Higurashi-san? How can you be so sure?"

She leaned forward and handed him back the photos then said, "Because, detective. Inuyasha has been dead for many years."

If it wouldn't have been horribly rude, Naokai would have cursed the gods for sending him yet another dead end. His head fell and he ran his hand roughly over his thick head of peppered gray hair. "I don't believe this," he mumbled in frustration.

"Oh, I assure you, Inuyasha is not alive. If he were, nothing would have stopped him from reaching Kagome. She would be here, right now, and I would not have this heart-wrenching pain of loss that never goes away." Her voice grew a little desperate and the tears began to flow. "I am trying to remain hopeful. I truly am, but it's been three days and still not a word." Her voice trembled and she dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled tissue.

Kobayashi couldn't stop his feet from moving, despite what was deemed as unacceptable behavior by his superiors. He reached out, and pulled the small woman into his arms and held her close, breathing in her fresh clean smell. Her sobs grew stronger and he gently stroked her back, while whispering soothing noises in hopes of easing her pain.

When the moment was ended, she awkwardly pulled away, whispering needless apologies and swiping at her eyes. When she looked up and met his eyes, there was a pretty tint of pink staining her cheeks, and Naokai wished that he could see her smiling like that. She was a beauty, and he couldn't deny that he felt an attraction to her, as unexpected as it was. He hadn't felt like this over a woman in many years.

In an attempt to distract her from the situation, Naokai asked, "Do you recognize the other sword?"

Maya shook her head with a sniff. "I'm sorry. I don't know anything about that one. Inuyasha's sword is special. It's very old, and very valuable, though it may not appear so."

"Can you give me Inuyasha's surname? Does he have any living relatives?" the detective asked.

"He was only Inuyasha to us. As for relatives, well, he had a brother. Kagome said that his name was... let me remember... Sesshomaru. Yes. That was it, but I fear that is not going to be of any help to you. It was a long time ago, and Kagome said that he and Inuyasha were not on good terms."

Now that was something that he could use. There was strife between brothers? "Do you know where I can find Sesshomaru?"

Again Maya shrugged carelessly. "I don't think that he is alive either, though I can't say for sure."

Naokai smiled and closed his notebook. "Arigato, Higurashi-san. I don't know if this will help, but I've cracked other cases on less."

"Please, detective, call me Maya," she offered. He nodded in appreciation of her kind offer. "It is a lovely name, Maya. I would ask that you do me the same courtesy, by calling me Naokai." Her smile, though small, was a welcome sight, and Naokai felt a stirring in his heart for this fragile woman.

In his car, Naokai took out his notes and skimmed them. The information that he gained here was mostly useless, but he still believed that there was a connection between Taisho and Higurashi. He just needed to find it.

So far he had two confirmed miko's, as well as one sword collecting businessman, who just happened to have in his possession a valuable sword once owned by the dead boyfriend of one of the miko's. Coincidence? There were never coincidences in his line of business. There was a connection. He was sure of it.

Kobayashi slipped his pen back into his pocket and started the ignition. He decided to pay the penthouse apartment of Taisho Shuusaka one more visit. Maybe there was something that he missed.

* * *

Kagome stretched her back and groaned. Sitting around on the roof of an abandoned apartment building wasn't exactly her cup of tea. Not only was it boring, but pigeons seemed to consider her the next best thing to a concrete statue. Much to Shuusaka's amusement, she spent at least five hours shooing away the aggravating birds while trying to catch a nap. 

It was getting dark now, and soon they would be able to leave. Shuusaka was sitting against a wall, staring off into the distance like some romanticized vision of every girls dream god. For a moment she just stood there and allowed herself to appreciate his otherworldly beauty, unhindered by his self-imposed facade of stoic arrogance. Unfortunately, it all ended too soon when he stood up and said, "Do all human women snore?"

"Argh!" Kagome growled before turning away. '_He really knows how to ruin a good vision'_. "I wasn't sleeping," she snapped, while rubbing her sore bum with both hands.

"Hn. That is not how it sounded," he replied. Kagome was busy trying to think up a suitably scathing remark, but her response was cut short when Shuusaka added, "The night will give us cover with which to approach your friends apartment. Come."

In seconds they were on the ground in an alley across the street from Rishou's apartment building. Kagome could see the glass doors that marked the entrance, but there was an elderly couple standing there talking, so they waited to approach. She was beginning to grow impatient when the two of them finally said their good-byes and moved on.

"Just act naturally," Shuusaka said, before putting his arm around her and pulling her close. Kagome wanted to protest the close proximity, but the argument died in her throat. She was beginning to get used to it, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. Instead, she let him lead her across the street, dimly lit by the towering lights above. She kept her face down, in case anyone noticed her, and Sesshomaru attempted to do the same, though his hair color was a dead giveaway. Too bad he lost his hat back at the cabin. It really looked sexy on him.

_'ACK! Did I just think that? Bad Kagome!'_

On the way across the street, she gained a few strange looks. One from a guy on a bicycle, who found her lack of clothing all too fascinating. Apparently the T-shirt wasn't exactly the equivalent to camouflage, or at least it left enough leg showing to attract some unwanted attention. Kagome jumped when a growl of warning erupted from the daiyoukai beside her, scaring the poor kid to death, and causing him to run his bicycle right into the stop sign. Kagome gasped when he hit, because it looked awfully painful, but Sesshomaru's vice-like grip wasn't about to let up for her to go see if he was okay. "Fine," she muttered angrily

Sesshomaru ignored her spike in temper, as he was currently scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. He didn't detect the presence of a tracker, but there were many humans within the area. It was unfortunate that he couldn't ascertain their intent, so he was unable to determine if they were average citizens or the enemy.

He pushed the glass door open and pushed her through. She gave him little resistance, but he could feel her growing ire at being manhandled in such a way. Once inside the building he relaxed minimally, easing up on his grasp of her arm, but still remaining on guard for suspicious humans.

There were three mortals in the lobby. One male was sitting on a low sofa reading a newspaper, while two young teens were gossiping near the elevator about their day. A janitor was busily watering plants with a cart full of cleaning supplies not far away. He allowed Kagome to direct the way, but when she headed for the elevator, he stopped her. "We will take the stairs."

She glared at him, but nodded in agreement, before altering her path toward the stairwell. Sesshomaru took a quick glance around, making sure that they were not being watched, before shuffling her through the opening. "What floor?" he asked.

"Fourteenth," Kagome replied with a note of despair in her voice. She looked up at the hundreds of stairs waiting for her to tackle, and sighed deeply before taking the first step.

At floor eleven, Kagome knew that she was badly out of shape. Her legs were burning from the strain, and her breathing was becoming labored, and she couldn't help fantasizing about a giant Styrofoam cup full of crushed ice and Mountain Dew. She looked over her shoulder at Shuusaka, who still looked like he could run a marathon with ease. Resisting the urge to growl in frustration, she poured her temper into her task.

Sesshomaru smirked at the miko's slowing pace. She was really beginning to struggle from the climb now, but she still refused to show her weakness in front of him. For some reason, that knowledge made him proud. Why he should care was beyond his imagining, but the feeling was there none-the-less. By the end of the twelfth floor, Sesshomaru could actually see her knees shaking before she took the next step, and despite the enjoyment that he was receiving from watching her round behind, he decided to offer his aid.

_'I can make it. I can make it. I can ma...' _Kagome looked up from her stern concentration when a wonderfully strong arm encircled her waist. For once, the thought to protest never stirred. Although she wanted to swat him, for making her climb all of the stupid stairs to begin with, she was unbelievably grateful for his sudden assistance.

_'First thing to do after I get out of this mess... Join a health club.'_ Kagome mentally groaned as Sesshomaru released his hold on her at the top of the stairs. She looked up with a rosy blush to her face. "Thanks. I guess I'm pretty tired from all of the running we've been doing."

"Understandable," Shuusaka replied, and Kagome was surprised that he ended it there. She half expected his trademark sarcasm to kick in and take the opportunity to make her feel useless. Through the unexpected moment, Kagome managed a smile before turning to ring the bell on Rishou's door.

Rishou frowned when the buzzer rang. He was in the middle of watching Jin and Mugen kicking some ass on Samurai Champloo. It was the first time he felt up to watching television since Kagome's disappearance. He was worried as hell for her, and everyone feared the worst. The waiting and not knowing if she was dead or alive was driving him fucking crazy.

After closing up shop today, he called her mom. Higurashi-san was not taking it well, and he could hear it in her voice. She told him about the detective working the case and for the first time in days he felt a little hope. She told him that the man was dedicated to finding Kagome, and she knew in her heart that he would find her alive. She sounded so sure. It was more hope than he had dared to have before, and he latched on to it.

Kami, he prayed that she was right.

Talking to Higurashi-san had helped, but it was the talk that he had with his 'homee' that gave him real hope. Apparently, the guys were looking for her too. They had a good network, and assured him that they were doing their best. Rishou knew that if anyone could find the bastards that took Kagome, they could.

With a frustrated growl, he sat his beer down on the black marble tabletop and stood to go get the door. He peeked through the hole but couldn't make out anything beyond the front of a man's chest. He popped open the latches and unbolted the door, but was suddenly flung to the floor on his ass when something heavy hurled toward him.

"Rishou!"

"Ka... Kagome?" Were his eyes playing tricks on him? _'Dear Kami... Let her be real.' _Rishou stood, and cautiously put his hand out to touch her face. He was shaking, and it showed, but he didn't care. He had to touch her, and know that she was really there. Really alive and unharmed. She just stood there, smiling at him, with a sad twinkle in her eyes. Only when his fingertips encountered warm soft flesh did he dare to breathe. It was her, and she was really okay. "Oh Kagome," he whispered, before pulling her completely and firmly into his arms. He buried his face against her soft hair and neck, inhaling her freshness and thanking the Gods for her return.

Until a growl that vibrated through his very bones made him grow stiff with fear.

Rishou reacted as quickly as his mortal body would allow. He shoved Kagome behind him as he turned to face the wild animal that somehow made it into his apartment building, but when his eyes locked onto the icy amber eyes of a man, he almost staggered backwards, trampling right over the woman that he was trying to protect.

"Oh stop it Sess... Shuusaka," Kagome chastised, realizing her mistake just before blowing his cover. She really needed to work on that. It was just so hard to remember that he wasn't known as Sesshomaru anymore, when she had called him by that name since the day they met so long ago. "He's a friend. He's going to help us."

As suddenly as the urge to attack had risen, Shuusaka pushed it down again. He was actually surprised at his own reaction to the sight of this mortal embracing his miko. Jealousy was something that he rarely experienced, even in his long lifetime. From the day of his birth he had been denied very little. In his youth he simply took what he wanted and in his adulthood he bought it. Here though, he had suddenly encountered a jealousy that almost rivaled the stab that ripped through him the day that he learned that his exalted father had willed the Tetsusaiga to his lowly, bastard, half-brother. And over a woman. How utterly disgraceful.

Shuusaka stared down his nose at the human male. The mortal's reaction to seeing Kagome safe and well was to be expected, however the instinct to keep him away from her was bordering on primal. He could sense a deep connection between this male and Kagome, and amazingly, it was taking quite a bit of energy to contain the urge to pull her back from where she now stood, thoroughly giving him her most evil glare, which honestly didn't amount to much at all. Why did he feel this way? Why was she effecting him so deeply?

Was he beginning to care for this onna on a personal level?

Rishou was stunned into silence. The thing that growled _like that_ was a man? No, not just a man, but the missing CEO of Taisho Arms Incorporated, Taisho Shuusaka. What the hell was going on? Rishou looked around the hallway, thankfully not seeing any of his neighbors, then gestured toward his doorway. "Please, come inside. I'm dying to hear this story."

Kagome laughed and patted Rishou on the arm with familiarity. "I'm sure you are, but first, I was wondering if I could use your phone to call my mom?"

"Of course you can Kagome. She's been really upset," Rishou said, as he followed the frigid businessman inside. He could see the guy giving his flat the once over, and wondered how his place compared to that of a man with unlimited income. '_Probably not even close', _he inwardly mumbled. What was Kagome doing with this guy? And why had she brought him here?

Sesshomaru deduced that the boy who lived here was a frivolous pup, who reveled in his static youth. A pup with absolutely no taste in the finer things in life. Instead of masterful works of art, painted by the hands of brilliant artists and framed in brass, pewter and gold, this fool chose to fashioned his home in glossy posters of anime characters framed in glass, shining metal, and black plastic. There were no finely crafted vases placed tastefully within the rooms, or detailed sculptures molded from the mind of a master. In their place were expensively crafted cases of glass which displayed figurines of even more fictional characters of various pop culture heroes.

The human was obviously obsessed with anime.

At least his taste in furniture was adequate, if not a bit too soft. Shuusaka leaned back and got comfortable, while Kagome dialed the number to her mother's home. He could feel her anxiousness vibrating against his skin, and he felt relieved that she would finally have the opportunity to speak with her mother. It was obvious how worried the miko was over her families concern for her safety.

As he ignored the human youth attempting to draw him into some nonsense conversation, he wondered if anyone was concerned for him? Was there anyone out there that really cared that he was gone? Besides his lawyers of course, who were probably having a time of it since his disappearance.

With a sigh and a smidgen of frustration, Sesshomaru pushed the thought aside. There was no use in wallowing in ones self pity. That was beneath him. Besides, being alone was something that he had grown fond of. There were no pesky pack members to interrupt his life with impromptu visits and insolent young children running amuck, ruining his carpeting and scratching his wood flooring. He answered to no one. Traveled when he wanted to and worked as much, and as often, as he liked. There was no one to demand hours of his personal time and he like it like that.

Didn't he?

Kagome listened to the ringing of the telephone, and only when her mom answered with a sad and weary "Mushi Mushi", did the tears begin to fall. "Mama?" Kagome whispered, finding that her voice had suddenly left her. For what felt like the longest time in history, Kagome waited to hear her response.

"K... Kagome? Is... is it really you?" Maya whispered, hoping beyond hope that it was true, but fearing that this was only a cruel joke.

"Yes Mama, Kagome choked, It's me. I'm alright. I'm not hurt and I'm safe for now."

Maya felt every bit of breath in her body leave her in one powerful gust, and then she sank down to the kitchen floor with the phone clutched desperately in her hands. "Oh thank the Kami. My daughter. I've been so worried. So terrified!" Her body was wracked with sobs of relief and gratitude for the blessing. Maya finally smiled through it all and said, "Kagome, I love you so much. I thought that you were lost forever. What's going on? Where are you?"

"I love you too. I'm sorry that you have to go through this Mama, but I need you to be strong, because it's not over yet. I can't tell you everything over the phone, and I can't talk long, in case they are tracing the call from our house," Kagome told her Mom with a sniffle. "This isn't over yet, Mama. I can't come home now, and I'm not sure when it will be safe to. The people that are looking for me are bad people, Mama, and they have access the military. They have guns and Trackers and... Oh Kami, this sounds really bad. I don't want to make you worry more, but you have to know. They are after me because I'm a miko. I'm with Taisho Shuusaka, and he's protecting me, so don't worry. It's complicated, and we really don't know that much. Right now we are trying to find out who they are, while trying to stay one step ahead of them. I really am sorry Mama. I wish I could come home and see you, but I just can't. I have to go now. Please tell Souta and Grandpa that I love them too."

"Kagome, Maya pleaded, don't go yet. I don't understand. Kagome?"

"Please Mama. I have to do this. These people are murderers. They killed Eri, and I think they killed the other girls too, because they all had some amount of miko power. They are after me, and trying to kill Sesshomaru. We are in danger, and I don't want them to focus on you. You mustn't report that you talked to me, okay? I don't know what I would do if they came after you guys. You have to promise, Mama. Promise that you won't say anything about what I've told you until we set this right."

"Oh my goodness. You mean, they could come here?" Thoughts of Souta and her father's lives being placed in danger enforced her resolve. "I understand. I trust you Kagome. Be safe, and return home to me as soon as you can."

She said goodbye to her only daughter, who just minutes ago was missing and presumed dead. Despite the odds, Kagome was alive, but still in danger. The relief that she felt at hearing her voice, was becoming shadowed with fear over the story she had been told. It was frightening, to think that someone linked to the military was after her child - a sweet, responsible young woman - who had never done anything against the law in her entire life. Who would do this? Why were they after the miko's?

And why had Kagome called Taisho Shuusaka, by the name given to Inuyasha's half-brother, the full demon, Sesshomaru?

No, she hadn't missed that little slip from her daughter's tongue. It could have been a simple mistake, of course. The name of an ancient demon Lord could have slipped out accidentally, in place of the reclusive businessman Taisho Shuusaka, who was now protecting Kagome from these madmen. Could it be that Taisho Shuusaka - who was apparently in possession of Tetsusaiga according to Detective Kobayashi - was really Inuyasha's powerful elder brother?

She certainly hoped so.

If Inuyasha couldn't be here to protect her daughter from this new evil, then she hoped that his brother would be there to keep her safe. It was the greatest hope that she had, and she would hold onto it. If that youkai had half of the determination that Inuyasha did, then Kagome would be safe.

Maya finally peeled herself off of the floor and headed into the living room to call Souta and Grandpa down for the good news.

Souta barreled down the stairs and asked "What's up?" before plopping down on the sofa. His grandfather meandered along behind and found a seat in his old, worn recliner. "Maya? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no. It's good news. It's Kagome. She called. She's alright." Maya said this with a warm smile and tears glistening in her eyes. Souta sat straight up in surprise. "She called? Are you sure?" He wanted to believe it was true. He really did, but his mom had been missing sleep and he was already worried that it was too much for her aging body. Could she be imagining it?

"Yes. I'm sure. You sister is alive and well," Maya broke down into tears once more, but this time they were full of relief and happiness. Souta hugged her close and grandpa joined them as they all thanked the heavens for their gift.

"She's alive."

* * *

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?" 

Naokai looked up with a start from the lock that he was turning, when a gruff voice growled from behind him. Immediately he detected aggression in the sharply dressed young male standing just a few meters from him. It put him on edge, and the fact that he never heard the guy come up on him, set him ill at ease. Naokai reached for his wallet, but the guy took a threatening step forward. "Hold it buddy. Tokyo Police. I'm just getting my wallet."

Kouga narrowed his eyes, but gave the human a chance. When he flashed a silver identification badge, the wolf relaxed a little, but not much. He never trusted cops. Most of them were as crooked as the poor suckers that they arrested. "Okay, so you've got a shiny badge. That doesn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Naokai put his badge away, and gave the man a glare. "I could ask you the same. Are you aware that this floor has been placed under police jurisdiction until further notice?"

"Nani?" Kouga asked in surprise. "Why?"

How the man could have been unaware of Taisho's disappearance, when the newspapers and television were covered in stories about the wealthy business owner's kidnapping, was beyond his understanding. "You mean you don't know? Taisho is missing. I'm the detective on the case."

"Is this yours," Kouga asked, before flipping the cheap, white, business card from his pocket.

"It is. What's your name, son?" Kobayashi asked.

"Son? Don't talk to me like I'm a baby faced idiot," Kouga growled. "The name's Ookami Kouga."

Kobayashi nodded stiffly. He wasn't sure if he liked this punk yet, but decided to reserve judgement just yet. The guy was dressed in some expensive threads, and sported a flashy gold wristwatch and diamond in his left ear. His long black hair was pulled neatly behind his head, and the shoes on his feet probably cost three months worth of a cop's salary. Taisho was loaded, and apparently so were his friends.

"I spoke with old Totosai yesterday morning, and he gave me your card," Kouga said. "Say, the old geezer said that you were looking for a girl by the name of Kagome. You got a picture, by chance?" Naokai nodded sternly and pulled his notebook from the inside pocket of his coat. He flipped to the spot and held it out for the man to see. Taped to the first page of notes was a wallet-sized photo of Higurashi Kagome.

"Ka... Kagome..." Kouga murmured in awe. He reached out slowly, as if he meant to touch her smiling face, but then he dropped his arm, and his head fell, hiding his eyes behind thick, ebony bangs. "It's true then."

Kobayashi was confused and somewhat excited. Here was another link between Taisho and Higurashi. It was obvious that Ookami knew Higurashi. Now, if he could just find out how Kagome knows Taisho. "If you have any idea who has taken Higurashi Kagome, I need you to tell me, Ookami. Every second counts in a case like this."

"Shit! I didn't even know that she was missing until you came along," Kouga spat. His hands clenched tightly and a low growl began to emerge. "I'll tear them apart if they hurt her!"

From the way things looked, Inuyasha wasn't the only man who cared deeply for this particular young woman. Naokai made a mental note to pull Ookami's records. It may give him some leads. "Tell me, Ookami-sama, because I'm curious, how does Taisho connect with Higurashi?"

Kouga's eyes narrowed as he considered how much should be said concerning the daiyoukai. He was all too aware of the need to keep Sesshomaru's youkai heritage a secret. Hell, he had been hiding under the guise of humanity for centuries himself. "I guess the link you are looking for is Inuyasha."

Kobayashi had to fight down the urge to sigh heavily in relief. Thank Kami that someone could answer that question. "Okay, I'll bite. How is Inuyasha connected the Taisho?"

"Simple. They were brother's," Kouga told the detective. "Though they weren't exactly a tight knit family, if you know what I mean."

"Brother's..." Kobayashi muttered. He pulled out his notebook, and flipped it open. Yep. He was right. Maya had told him that Inuyasha's brother was a guy named 'Sesshomaru'. Could Shuusaka be an alias? "Any more family?" he asked. Curious now from the man's answer.

"Not that I know of," Kouga replied. "Hey, Totosai said that you think Taisho has something to do with her disappearance, but you said that he's missing too. I don't know what the hell he would want with Kagome. Everyone knows that he took possession of Tetsusaiga when Inuyasha died."

There was that sword again. Naokai was beginning to wonder how deep all of this ran. He was pretty sure that Ookami was holding something back, just like Maya, but not sure what it could be. Kobayashi turned away from the young man and clicked the lock in Taisho's door. Ookami had been really helpful so far, and he was putting his bets down that he knew even more. "Do you have a minute to step inside, Ookami? I hope that you can help me out with my problem."

Kouga considered his options. On one hand, he was reluctant to trust this human any further than he already had, but at the same time, Kagome's life could rest in his hands. If someone was strong enough to attack and subdue Sesshomaru, then they must be a formidable foe. He needed all the information that he could get in order to save Kagome, and so far, this detective knew more than anyone else.

The wolf prince made his decision.

"Yeah, Kouga agreed, let's talk."

* * *

Lemon Start's here.

For the unedited version of this chapter, please visit Mediaminer, A Single Spark, or AdultFanfiction.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all liked the lemon scene, and the rest of the chapter! LOL! I know that you are hoping for more fluff between Sess/Kag, but it's just not time yet. Remember, all good things come to those who wait. It's coming up soon. 

Remember to rate and review, then visit _The House of Lemons_ for some more lemony fun!

Thanks!

Rinseternalsoul


	12. Chapter 12 Tension

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 12 - Tension**

A/N: While I love all my fans and reviewers from each of the fanfiction sites that my stories are on, I feel most at home on A Single Spark. I guess that is because they are devoted to the Sesshomaru and Kagome pairing, so that's where I spend most of my time. And while I usually don't have the time to do this, I really wanted to send my appreciation to all my friends there. So I've managed to respond to all of the reviewers listed (Whew!). I hope I didn't leave anyone out! I appreciate your support more than you will ever know.

Flightoffancy: Thank you for the review. It always feels good when people appreciate the time and effort that goes into building my stories. Oh, and I agree, Detective Kobayashi is one 'hot' older guy. I just love that salt and pepper look in a full head of hair. You know, it's weird how our taste changes with age. That used to would have grossed me out.

RhiannonoftheMoon: Thanks for the great review, and it was a pleasure to spread the word about that delicious bowl of fanfiction goodness that you are serving, I mean, writing (_Cereal Box Romance_ for all you who don't know). Oh, and thanks for the title. I wonder what my grandmother would think if she knew that I was dubbed 'Queen of Smut'? HAHA!

MrsSesshomaru: You are one of my favorite reviewers! You review everywhere! LOL! Ah... this is good people here. And I appreciate you for it. As for your question about a lemon between Maya (Kags mom) and Detective Naokai... I may put a little affection in there, but I think I'll refrain from lemoning the old folks. LOL! Not that I'm not just as old as them, but you wouldn't want to picture me having sex either, so... no. No lemons for them. Some kissing and warm fuzzy feelings will definitely be in there. You also asked if Shippo was going to show up. Nope. Remember that he and Rin were killed in the attack on Hiroshima? Sorry. Thanks for asking!

Risa : Thanks girl! I'm glad you enjoyed the smut. I always get a kick out of your reviews, especially our email notes. Thanks for being such a great fan!

Danielle DaCosta: A Cult Classic Fanfic? Whoa! I feel important! LOL! If only I could convince someone to pay me. HAHA! No, I haven't finished my book yet. sigh I 've had writer's block on it. Instead, Sesshomaru fills my head. I suppose the obsession lives on. Oh well, I guess I could be addicted to worse things. Seriously though, thanks for the great review. It really made me smile.

Media: You think so? As good as _The Portal_? Well, I take that as a great compliment. Thanks!

Ltsonya: You are an honored fan. I appreciate all of your support through each of my stories.

Angelfighter: My most lengthy reviewer and devoted fan! As well as potential- one-day-in-the-future-hopefully tourguide of Venice! LOL! Show me the pub! (Sorry about your hand. I hope it's feeling better!)

swtdrm01, Laini, sesshsmate101, KogasGirl, Just a Caricature of Ignorance, Dianna, swtdrm01 , sweetkijo, kagsbigfan, lehcar132, Cochrann, rhonda34 and everyone I may have missed: Thanks for the reviews! You guys are great!

A/N: Okay, enough chit chat. This chapter is gonna be soooo good!

* * *

Kagome wiped her tears with the back of her hand in a vain attempt to hide the fact that she had been crying. She didn't want Rishou to worry and she didn't want to look like a wimp in front of Sesshomaru. It was hard to be grown up when you just want your mommy. She stood up and prepared to rejoin the men in Rishou's living room. 

Sesshomaru could smell her tears. He didn't like it. It made his insides twist, and he couldn't decide if he wanted to touch her or leave the room. He simply was not used to dealing with emotional females, and for some reason this one bothered him more than most. When she re-entered the room, he looked up, and the trails of moisture were evident on her soft cheeks. The tears did, however, leave her eyes glistening a beautiful dark watery blue, and he had to admit that the emotion in their depths was truly infectious.

Rishou looked behind him when Taisho looked away from their one-sided conversation. Kagome was coming back into the room after calling her mom. He twisted back to continue the discussion, but found that the quiet businessman was still staring at Kagome. He turned to glance over his shoulder, and found that Kagome was looking at Taisho too. It was a look that he had never seen on her face before, and for some reason that bothered him.

He turned again to the straight-laced guy that had been sitting here in complete silence since he walked in the front door. The man was still watching Kagome. It was weird, but those unusual eyes, that had stared at him so coldly, were watching Kagome with a new warmth. Was something going on here? What was this guy to Kagome?

Rishou leaned back in his chair, deciding to reserve judgement for now. Obviously these two had been through a lot, and something like that would bring anyone closer. He refused to worry about this guy. Kagome wasn't into stuck up snobs. Was she?

Damn, he hoped not.

His heart fell just a little more, when Kagome joined them. She didn't choose to sit next to him on the loveseat, instead she walked over to Taisho and sat down right beside of him, and all the while, their eyes were trained on each others. Kagome smiled a small smile when she sat, and Rishou glanced back to Taisho to gauge his response, but amazingly the guy didn't return it. He just sat there looking at her. It didn't seem to bother Kagome any though, and that bothered Rishou quite a lot.

He shifted uncomfortably. Was he losing Kagome to this dude? Kagome doesn't need a cold fish for a boyfriend. She's warm, loving and full of life. Taisho doesn't deserve her.

Just when he made up his mind to have a little talk with Kagome about ruthless businessmen using young women and throwing them away, Taisho did something that he never expected.

Her pain was radiating off of her in waves. She needed comfort. Shuusaka could feel her loneliness and worry, and it made him feel slightly ill. When she smiled, it was sad. She must be worried over her mother, and sad that she couldn't go home. It was typical of any creature to return to the safety of its home when threatened; yet Kagome was not allowed such a luxury. It bothered him more than he wished to admit. He much preferred her snappy attitude and perky smiles.

Kagome was surprised when Sesshomaru reached out to cover her hand with his own. He didn't squeeze it, or even grasp it, he simply covered it with his much larger hand, offering her a little peace just when she needed it the most. She smiled at him again. This time in thanks. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod, before breaking her gaze and looking away.

He was acting so strangely now. It was hard to believe that this was the same guy that once doused her in a healthy dose of acidic poison. She was actually beginning to like this new Sesshomaru. Maybe even a little too much. His hand was warm, resting on hers. It felt comforting, and... right. It made her feel better, and that was something that she never expected. He was doing something nice, for no reason at all except to help her. It sounded like such a small thing, but for Sesshomaru, it was a major big deal.

Kagome's heart did a little flip inside of her chest.

When Taisho finally managed to look away from Kagome and focus back on him, the icy demeanor was firmly back in place, and the warmth was gone from his eyes. Rishou lay his head back and gave a halfhearted chuckle, before returning his attention to his guests. Yep. Those two had the hot's for one another. He'd have to be blind to miss it.

Just his fucking luck. He'd lost Kagome to a prude.

"Rishou, Kagome interrupted, can I borrow something to wear? All of my clothes are back at home." She felt a little self-conscious when the male eyes in the room automatically went straight to her legs. She pulled the worn and grubby T-shirt down in an effort to cover a little more of her dirty legs. "And a bath..."

Rishou smiled and laughed. What the hell. He loved Kagome, whether she liked it or not, and he wanted her to be happy. If that asshole makes her happy, then so be it. May the best man win. He wasn't one to give up so easily. He wouldn't try to deter the relationship, but he wasn't about to hand her over on a silver platter either. If Taisho wants her, then he better be prepared to work for his prize. "Sure Kagome. I'll be right back."

Rishou took a detour through the guest bathroom, checking for any unsavory items lying around. Parties at his place could get pretty wild. After making sure all was clear, he checked the supplies, and found all was in order. He pulled out a towel and washcloth, then placed them on the counter. Rishou smirked as he left the bathroom and headed for his walk-in closet. In the back he pulled out a long plastic bag from the dry cleaners, then pulled the bag over the hanger, before tossing it in the floor. He held up the garment and his smirk turned into a full grin.

With goods in hand he headed back into the living room, where Kagome and Taisho were waiting. They looked up when he entered, and he held the garment up high. "Here ya go, Kagome. Remember this?"

Kagome's eyes grew almost as wide as her smile. Much to his satisfaction, she jumped up from the couch and ran over to meet him, grabbing the clothing from his hands. "Wow Rishou. I had forgotten all about this. You've had it all this time?"

Rishou inwardly snickered. This should ruffle Taisho's feathers. "Yeah. Sorry. After you left it here that morning, I decided to have it cleaned for you, but I kept forgetting to bring it with me every time I went your way. Forgive me?"

"Oh Rishou! Of course I do. Actually, I'm glad you still have it. This T-shirt is just not my style." Kagome laughed happily. The dress was a little fancy for casual wear, but it would be much better than what she was wearing now.

Rishou glanced up from Kagome's smiling face and froze. If looks could kill, then Taisho Shuusaka had just stabbed him right through the chest with a broadsword. _Score one for Rishou!_ It was only fair that the guy knew who he was dealing with here. He wasn't just some guy friend of Kagome's. He and Kagome had history.

So the boy thinks to assert his claim, does he? Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and held back the questions that he secretly wanted to ask. Had Kagome and this mortal shared a bed? He found the thought of that a little disturbing. What did she see in this human? He was not much taller than the miko, and he had pierced his skin with tawdry silver adornments. The whelp possessed no taste for anything that didn't come in Technicolor, and he doubted that he knew the first thing about pleasing a woman. Unlike himself, who had centuries to perfect the art. On demon bitches.

Hm... That thought made him pause. Was it different? Were there secrets to the human female anatomy that he was currently unaware of? Sesshomaru hated the idea that this pup may actually know something that he, a centuries old demon, did not. As a lover, he had never had any complaints, but all of his past affairs had been with full-blooded she-demons.

Hold on.

Was he actually giving this serious thought because he wanted to bed the miko?

Shuusaka looked up from his unsettling thoughts and watched as Kagome left the room. The mortal was watching her as well, and it rankled his nerves, but he refused to show it. _'This Shuusaka will not compete like a common fool for the affections of a _human _woman. Ridiculous.'_

Rishou turned around again and found that Taisho was deep in thought, then suddenly the tall stoic businessman stood up. For a minute there, he wondered if he was going to ask him to step out. Rishou clenched his fist. He wouldn't back down from a fight. This dude was going to be surprised if he thought Rishou would go down easy. Funny though, he thought this guy had more class than that. He didn't look like a fighter, but hell, neither did he.

"Do you have somewhere that I can connect to the internet?" Shuusaka asked.

Rishou's eyes grew wide. The guy doesn't want to fight. He just wants to log on. He chuckled at himself and motioned for the strange man to follow him. The quite guy set his nerves on edge for some reason. Maybe it was just jealousy?

Shuusaka followed Rishou into another room. This one was obviously the master bedroom, because the huge black bed was unmade with sheets askew. A pair of running shoes were on the floor, as well as other items of clothing. Apparently the human's taste in anime did not stop at the threshold. Even the bed chambers wore it's share of finely framed trash. Sesshomaru looked around with a disdainful eye.

Rishou stopped at the foot of his bed, noticing that Taisho was admiring his collection of anime art. He puffed up his chest proudly. It was the finest around. No one had as many rare collectibles as he did. Rishou's eyes fell on his favorite, and Taisho followed his gaze. At the head of the messy bed, framed in a monstrously sized frame of shiny black plastic, was the image of a naked anime girl, sitting with her legs pulled beside her, modestly hiding the apex of her thighs. Long blond hair spilled down her back and shoulders, with a few scant strands covering the tips of her breasts. Her big blue eyes were sleepy, cast half-mast, with sweeping dark lashes and a pale shade of color painted on the lids. Her lips were full and painted a glossy red, while curved around the tip of the fat pink lollipop that she was holding in her hand.

A big grin broke out on Rishou's face and he said, "Wouldn't you love to have that mouth wrapped around your cock?"

"I wouldn't know," Sesshomaru replied. He wasn't particularly comfortable with the course that this conversation was taking.

"What do you mean, dude? Every man loves a pretty girl to suck his dick. Surely you aren't an exception?" Rishou asked with a laugh.

"Obviously I am. Now do you have a jack to the Internet, or did you simply bring me in here to admire your taste in art?" Shuusaka asked with dripping sarcasm.

"Whatever man, Rishou replied, Over there's the desk. Feel free to shove some of the papers over and make yourself at home. The jack's under the desk. Don't sweat it. I've got DSL, and a modem, so you won't be bothering my phone line." He was going to offer to help, if he was looking into the ones responsible for kidnapping Kagome, but Taisho didn't seem like he was enjoying his company too much.

Rishou stepped into the closet and pulled out a pair of kaki's that he had been meaning to get hemmed. He tossed them on the bed with a long sleeve pale blue shirt. "Here's a change of clothes, man. Just in case you get tired of wearing dried blood."

Sesshomaru nodded his thanks, and fought the irritation at having this lowly human speak to him with such disrespect. He reminded himself that Rishou didn't work for him, and he didn't know of his demonic standing. He would have to have tolerance where this human was concerned.

Rishou returned to the kitchen to check the cupboards for anything to eat, but sadly came up with a blank. Obviously it was time to go shopping, but for now, he just needed something to fill his grumbling gut.

"Konnichiwa Rishou," Kagome said cheerfully from behind him, "Thanks for the shower. I feel sooo much better."

Rishou turned around and stood still, while taking the time to admire his female friend. "Damn Kagome. Girl you look 'smokin' in those threads." He enjoyed watching her face blush a bright red, before he followed the path of the rosy hue down her chest to the neckline her dress.

Kagome smiled with a blush when she caught Rishou staring at her. "I guess you still like the dress," she said.

"Like? No baby girl, I love that dress," Rishou assured her.

Kagome liked it too. She had almost forgotten about it since she wore it last. It was an imitation Vera Wong. The entire dress was made of soft white satin that criss crossed at the breast with a strip of delicate embroidery. The hem fell mid thigh in soft folds, giving it a lovely splash of soft colors to distract the eye. It cost two weeks salary, but it was money well spent in her opinion. She felt like a princess when she had it on. "Arigato," Rishou-kun.

"Has ice man seen you in it yet?" Damn. He really hadn't meant to ask that aloud. He didn't want to look jealous or anything, even though he was.

Kagome giggled. "Ice man? I guess you could call him that. No. Shuusaka-sama hasn't seen it yet. Why? Do you think that he'll like it?" Suddenly she felt self-conscious again, and she reached down to smooth her hand lightly over the soft folds above the hem.

Rishou noticed this and felt a stab in his heart. She really liked that guy. "Unless he's blind, he'll like it." He shrugged his shoulders and turned to grab a soda from the fridge. "Want something to drink?"

"Sure," Kagome replied. She watched as Rishou poured her a glass, then he turned around and asked her the question that she was hoping he wouldn't.

"What is he to you, Kagome? I mean, he's a strange one, ya know? Hell, the guy 's never even had a blowjob for Kami's sake. Where the hell has he been hiding? Maybe he's gay? But even then... Well, gay guys still... ah, you know..." _'Damn it. I'm rambling...'_

Kagome choked on the first sip of cola and almost spit it all over her dress. "N... Nani?"

"Sorry girl. That was crude, and none of my business. You know how I get sometimes," Rishou said, shaking his head, while handing her a paper towel from the cabinet.

Kagome snatched the napkin and dabbed at the corner of her mouth while she prayed that the crimson flush over her cheeks would go away. Was he serious? "Uh... I don't know what to say, Rishou," Kagome said softly. "Sess... Shuusaka is... well, an old friend, I guess you could say." She twisted her toes nervously on the floor while looking anywhere but at Rishou.

"It's okay Kagome, really, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Shit. He was such a fuck up sometimes. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth around pretty girls, but he thought that he was over that with Kagome. They were too close for crap like that.

Kagome finally looked up, and gave him a little smile. "Thanks Rishou. It's just that..."

Suddenly they were not alone. Kagome could feel Sesshomaru approach and Rishou confirmed it when he looked up and over her shoulder. Kagome spun around to see Sesshomaru walking toward them with a fresh change of clothing on and a towel drying his still damp hair. He looked good enough to eat, dressed in the casual pants and a crisp clean button up shirt tucked in loosely at the waist.

For the first time since they were at the cabin Kagome had the chance to really look at Sesshomaru. His hair was growing at an unbelievable rate. Already the wet strands of opalescent white fell past his shoulders, and Kagome couldn't help but to be jealous a little. It took her forever to grow her hair out, while it only took him days. He pulled the towel away and turned those golden eyes on her, and the heat that she saw there almost took her breath away.

Sesshomaru completely forgot that the impudent male was standing near, as he took in Kagome wearing a dress that fit her like a dream. It was loose, but the satin material lay perfectly against her soft curves, accenting her femininity. Her hair was still a bit damp, and he could tell that she had just combed it out. The long ebony strands fell gently over her shoulders, contrasting the light color of the gown. She looked... stunning.

At that moment Rishou came to realize the futility of his efforts to keep Kagome as his own. She was already lost to him, whether either of them knew it or not. With a heavy sigh, he stepped past Kagome and made an excuse. "I.. uh... got to run to the store. I'll be right back." He grabbed his keys from the table by the door. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone."

The door to Rishou's apartment shut with an audible 'click'. Kagome suddenly felt very nervous beneath Sesshomaru's intense stare. She swallowed, but it seemed to only lodge in her throat. The silence was growing heavy and she was beginning to feel a little hot. She wondered if Rishou would mind if she turned on the air conditioner?

Shuusaka used his claws to scrape through his growing mass of hair, then tossed the towel over the back of a black leather chair nearby. He then moved across the room to stand before Kagome. "Miko, you look... pleasing in that dress." His voice was lower than even his usual deep baritone and he wondered if she noticed the change.

Kagome looked up to him shyly and whispered "Arigato".

While the gown was lovely, it only served to accentuate what was already there. The white of the satin added to her innocent nature, enhancing the purity that always surrounded her. Her slender arms and shoulders were bare, as were her tiny feet, and he found it interesting that she would fidget beneath his gaze. He stepped closer.

Kagome fought the urge to back away from him. He was standing so close now that she was forced to tilt her head all the way up, in order to meet his eyes. Her heart was beating like an African drum , but she couldn't seem to move, even if she wanted to. She could smell him now, this closely. He smelled fresh and clean and undeniably male, which was stirring things in her womanly region that just might get her into trouble.

Shuusaka made no effort to hide it when he inhaled deeply of her scent. The buttery spice of her unique female arousal filled his nose, setting his blood on fire, and before he had time to think things through, he had pulled her against his chest to indulge in her full pink lips. She tasted divine.

The world was spinning for Kagome and she closed her eyes, falling into the kiss, and the man. She was swept away by the passion that Sesshomaru poured into her, tasting her, devouring her, with his lips. His tongue was unlike the tongue of a human man, and it fascinated her, while driving her to new heights. He slowly traced it over her lips, so slowly, that she wondered if he were memorizing every tiny detail, before he once more pushed it inside her mouth to wrap around her own tongue in a maddeningly sensual way. Oh Kami, it was the best kiss that she had ever had. She felt it all the way to her toes. A tiny sound began to rise in her chest until she was moaning with the unquenched desire coursing through her frame.

She arched into him, pressing her body against his long legs and hips. He groaned, and the sound was so deep and full of need that Kagome shuddered with pleasure. His arms wrapped around her, rubbing a burning path over her back and then lower. Her juices were flowing, leaving her with a horrible, aching, compulsion to be filled. Her satin dress felt slick and smooth as he traced her curves with strong hands.

She pulled away, and said, "Don't pick my dress with your claws."

One dark eyebrow rose in amusement and Kagome burst out laughing. Shuusaka tightened his hold on her waist with the promise to continue this moment at another time. His lips curved into a sexy smile when she gasped from the pressure. Once more he leaned down and licked a sensual path over her lips before releasing her and stepping away.

"Your friend approaches," Shuusaka announced, causing Kagome to look toward the door in surprise.

Rishou slipped the key out of the lock and opened the door. "I'm back!" He called as he shut it behind him. Surprisingly enough, he found his two guests standing in almost the exact same spot that he left them in. A closer look told him that he may have interrupted a 'moment'. He glanced over to Taisho and smirked. The asshole actually looked a little flushed. It was no wonder. Kagome was one excellent kisser.

Surprisingly enough, he wasn't really mad. Oh, he was jealous, but not nearly as much as he probably should have been. He and Kagome had decided to just stick to being friends over three months ago, and that was cool with him. Maybe he really wasn't in love with her as much as he thought? Could it be that he loved Kagome, but wasn't in love with Kagome? Damn.

Maybe he should give that cute little Goth girl from the club a call?

Yeah. That sounded like fun.

"So, what did I miss?" Rishou asked with a laugh.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was so fun to write! I hope you all enjoyed it! 


	13. Chapter 13 Love and Pain

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 13 - Love and Pain**

A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for all of your reviews from the last chapter! I'm glad that you enjoyed the fluff. I deeply apologize for the slow update. I've experienced a devastating blockage of inspiration lately. That's my only excuse, but a truthful one. I would like to say it's over, but I don't want to run the risk of jinxing myself.

I would like to send my deepest appreciation to the following for nominating Madman in the InuYasha Fanguild Awards contest for the 2nd Qtr. 2006.

Best Action Adventure: Nominated by: namitheronininu, Seconded by: RhiannonoftheMoon, Thirded by: sesshyspriestess

Best A/U: Nominated by: sesshysjadedsamuri, Seconded by: CiraArana, Thirded by: Beccaatoo

Best Characterization - Character: Sesshomaru: Nominated by: sesshysjadedsamuri, Seconded by: Beccaatoo, Thirded by: namitheronininu

Best O/C - Character: Matsuno Hotaka: Nominated by: sesshysjadedsamuri, Seconded by: Ren, Thirded by: nishinoshiroinu

I am truly honored that you all think so highly of my story. Thank you very much for the support.

I guess now would be the best time to offer my congratulations to all those who won. The competition was stiff, and you all deserve the honor bestowed upon you!

* * *

"So Hotaka is considered a national hero?"

Rishou nodded and quickly looked away. Seeing Kagome in that dress was not having the effect that he had hoped for. While it did serve to declare his importance in Kagome's life to Taisho it also had the ability to bring back memories of the first night that he saw her in it.

She was so beautiful. Innocent and untouched, yet strong and solid in her beliefs. They had been dating for two months, casually, and most often than not, surrounded by loud and obnoxious friends. It took a lot of talking to convince her to go out with him alone. Kagome guarded her heart with iron clad resolve back then. Hell, not much had changed there. She still refused to let anyone get too close.

Against his will, Rishou's eyes closed for just a moment, as a ghostly image of an angel touched his mind, drawn from his memories, where they will happily be sustained forever. That night, she had met him with a smile, and in that moment, he knew that his heart was hers.

It was an intense time in his life. He sensed the deep scars of a broken heart in the lovely girl wearing white satin. He had wanted to take away her pain, and make her truly happy again, but at the time, he had no idea just how deeply those scars ran.

Her pain had been infectious.

He found that he could not make her forget the one who hurt her most, and while he tried, her pain, had became his own.

She tried to stop him from falling for her. She tried to tell him that she was broken. Love is a bitch sometimes. He could no more stop his feelings than he could stop the rain from falling from the sky.

When she realized how much he had come to care for her, she turned him away. Not cruelly. No, never that. Kagome was too kind and loving for heartlessness. She attempted to explain, through tears and regret, and he simply could not stand to see her filled with such sorrow over someone so undeserving as himself. She didn't want to hurt him, and he wanted nothing more than to see her smile.

It took more inner strength than he had thought to possess, but he managed it. He pushed the blooming emotions deep inside, hiding the hurt at her rejection, and then he lied.

Telling Kagome that he was not hurt by her words was harder than he ever thought possible. Telling her that he too wanted only to be friends was the biggest lie he ever told. It was almost impossible, at first, to be around her without letting her see the pain and longing in his eyes, but the alternative was even more horrible. He couldn't break away from her completely. He couldn't even begin to imagine never seeing her again. She wanted to remain friends, and if that was the only way that he could have her, then so be it.

In the beginning he was sure that he would go crazy, pretending to only care for her in such a non-committed way. As time went by, and her smiles continued to come, he grew accustomed to her aloof handling of his feelings. He accepted the tender peck on the cheek instead of the searing heat of her mouth. All the while hoping that his patience would one day be rewarded with her trust and maybe even her love.

Their friendship grew, and she came to mean so much more to him than a sexy woman, or a gentle spirit. He began to value her for her honesty, integrity and honor. Over time, their relationship did change. Just not the way that he had once hoped for. While she opened up to him in many ways, her heart remained just out of his reach.

He was so stupid to think that he could ever break through that barrier that she had placed around her heart. Give him an 'A' for effort though. He damn sure gave it his best shot, but it just wasn't enough. _He_ was not enough.

'Damn,' he mentally sighed. She was out of his reach when they first met, and by the looks of things, she would remain that way. He wasn't the one for her. He wasn't the one to fill the void in her heart. Why didn't he see it sooner? Why had he allowed himself to hope for it?

Their time together was great, and he hoped to have many more days of her friendship ahead, but she wasn't meant for him. Maybe he had known that all along? Had he been, subconsciously, preparing himself for this day? His heartache wasn't as overwhelming, as he imagined it would be when this day came. Oh it hurt to see her look at another man with a sparkle in her eyes that had been absent until now. But it didn't hurt as bad as it should. Had he somehow, over time, managed to accept her as the friend that she wanted to be?

A friend. The word was too simple to describe his feelings for Kagome. She was more than a friend. She was Kagome. A woman who was as kind as she was alone. She closed her heart to romatic love, yet loved him just the same. He was in love with her once, and now he was finally able to see that he would always love her, just not the way that he had once hoped.

"Matsuno Hotaka has been decorated for numerous acts of bravery and valor. His accomplishments have granted him favor with the Japanese government, and as a result, he was placed in full control over the new military facilities near the Sagawia district. My research has tied him to a military tactics specialist, Yamamoto Juria. Juria's files were more tightly encrypted than anything related to Hotaka. I did, however, uncover one interesting article in a most unexpected place. On the front page of a society tabloid, was a cozy picture of the two as they attended some random charity event. The article claimed that the two were lovers."

Rishou leaned back in his seat, considering what Taisho had just told him. "Damn. From what you've told me, they make a fine pair. I've had some guys looking into the military facility. My sources say that the base was established for research in defending against biological warfare."

For once, Taisho looked somewhat surprised. Besides the heated looks that he reserved for Kagome, it was the first emotion displayed on his stoic face. For some reason, it pleased Rishou to know that he was able to procure information that the businessman had not.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and asked, "And how, may I ask, do your sources know this? The information was not open for public knowledge."

Rishou shifted uncomfortably under that cold gaze. It was intimidating as hell, but he refused to show how much the guy un-nerved him. In a cold voice he replied flippantly, "Pfffh. You don't need to know that. Just believe it."

If possible, that narrow gaze became even more pronounced.

Kagome felt the tension rising between her... friends, and decided that it was time to intervene. "Shuusaka, Rishou has contacts with people all over Japan. If he says it's true, then it has to be. You can trust him."

"Humph. I will be the judge of that. However, if the base is believed to be researching against a biologically destructive element, then perhaps the military leaders are unaware of Hotaka's true purpose?" Sesshomaru sat back to consider that briefly. It would make sense. It was hard to imagine the Japanese government condoning the murder of innocent women during a time of peace for their country. If Hotaka was conducting secret research without government knowledge, then the connection to the military was much more understandable.

For the first time since this fiasco began, Shuusaka felt some of the constant tension leave his body. The involvement of the military had been a troublesome factor. In the days of his youth he would never have batted an eye. He would have met the human's show of force with little concern and destroyed them all, but in this day of modern weaponry he had no delusions of grandeur. He may slaughter many, but they would eventually prevail. Not only through vast numbers, but also through a limitless supply of high tech weapons. And while he may often find the unending years of his youkai life boring and tedious, Sesshomaru had no desire to end it anytime soon. Besides, things were just beginning to get interesting.

"That must be it," Kagome hopefully whispered. It was their only hope. If the crimes that occurred were orchestrated by one individual, instead of their entire government, then they not only had a chance to survive this, but they also had a chance of making sure that it never happened again.

Suddenly Rishou's cell phone rang, giving her a fright. She jumped at the weird noise, but as soon as he popped it out of his pocket, she realized what was making the blasting laser sound. That ringtone was seriously irritating.

"Yeah. Tell me what you got," Rishou said to the caller, before giving Kagome a friendly wink. She sat patiently, waiting for him to end the call, and wondering if it was about the mess that she was in. She watched his face turn from a smile to a frown. He shook his head and muttered a curse before flipping the phone closed and sitting back, deep in the black Italian leather chair.

Rishou rubbed his eyes tiredly and finally looked up. "While I was out I made contact with a dude I trust with my life. I gave him the name Hotaka and he traced him back to this same military research facility. Some of my crew headed out to do a little recon and tried to get a closer look at the place, but it was a no go. They have the perimeter tightly guarded on the only three sides with access to the main compound. Dogs, machine guns, fully armed choppers, hell, you name it. The place is crawling with firepower."

"Why would a research facility need all that?" Kagome questioned with a new tremor in her voice. Just when she was beginning to feel a little better about things, they find out the place is some kind of impenetrable fortress. Just her luck.

"When someone wishes for secrets to remain secrets," Shuusaka cryptically replied. He was unimpressed with the information gained through Rishou's confidant, because he had already been witness to the fact with his very own eyes. It did, however, sound like security had been increased, which was not surprising, since he had escaped from the facility thus becoming a serious threat.

"It is of no consequence," Sesshomaru announced with confidence. "They will not escape my wrath."

Kagome rolled her eyes in disbelief. His arrogance could get them killed. "You can't ignore the fact that they are armed to the teeth, Shuusaka. This isn't the old days. You can't just waltz in there like a one-man killing machine, and hope to live! We have to come up with a plan." For some reason, the thought of her new companion losing his life in this battle made her stomach clench in a knot. She was just getting to know him.

"Are you concerned for my welfare, miko?" Shuusaka asked with a quirk of amusement ghosting his features. Teasing Kagome had such a strange effect on him. He was beginning to enjoy it very much, especially when it resulted in a rosy pink blush.

Kagome decided to change the subject. She was tired, and now seemed the perfect time to announce it. She cleared her throat somewhat nervously before standing up. "I'm beat. I think I'm going to turn in for the night." Rishou stood as well, and motioned toward the guestroom. "You are welcome to the guest room." He considered adding a quick invitation to his own bed, in a joking way, of course, but for some reason he didn't think that Taisho would find it all that funny. Considering the scary way the guy growled earlier in the hallway, he decided he would keep it to himself.

He turned from Kagome's welcome face to find Taisho giving him a cold stare. Briefly he wondered if the guy could read his mind. By the look he was giving him, Rishou decided that he was probably lucky that he couldn't. If he got a glare like that just from offering Kagome the guestroom, Taisho would go ballistic if he knew what he was really thinking. "Sorry dude. I've only got one guestroom. The couch sleeps pretty good though. At least, that's what all my friends say."

He offered no response, but merely nodded in understanding. At any rate, Sesshomaru had no intention of sleeping here. The place was too public. Though the building was better than most, he could still hear the tenants in apartments nearby, closing doors, and watching television, going about their daily human lives. Scents were mingled with food odors, waste and cleaning chemicals, further limiting his ability to detect danger if it were to approach.

After the last mistake, he refused to let his guard down. He would remain awake and guard Kagome while she slept. It would give him time to consider the information about the one called Matsuno Hotaka. He was about to settle his head back deep in thought, when a soft voice distracted him.

"Good night, Sesshomaru."

He looked up to find Kagome standing just outside of her room. His eyes followed the line of her smooth, shapely legs, over the soft curve of her thigh, to the hem of a cotton shirt obviously belonging to Rishou. It bothered him to see her wearing another man's clothing, and he found that strange indeed. It was only logical, considering she had nothing to wear besides the dress, but it made him uneasy nonetheless.

She looked away from him, hiding her face and eyes from his inspection, and before he knew what possessed him, he crossed the distance to stand before her. She looked up in surprise, and he placed his finger lightly beneath her chin, effectively removing her opportunity to hide from him again. He could hear her heartbeat skip into a nervous rhythm, but the scent of her excitement proved that it was not from fear. If one touch could bring about such a potent change, he was curious to know how she would react to his full affections? The thought made his body tighten.

"Sleep without fear, Kagome. I will protect you."

She smiled at him then, and he could see the trust in her eyes and it pleased him. Her lips, so soft and full, caught his attention, and Shuusaka felt the pull of them, calling him to taste her again. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, feeling their gentle acceptance, and enjoying her sweetness. Reluctantly he pulled away, watching her heavy lids, painted with thick dark lashes, lift to reveal her sparkling blue eyes. Such open, welcoming eyes.

Their breaths mingled, as he held her cheek carefully against the palm of his hand. She nuzzled into it, but never took her eyes from his own. It was just a gentle nudge of her soft warm flesh, but it was one that he would never forget. He wanted her. It all became clear. He wanted to explore her, inside and out, intimately and intricately. There was more desire firing his belly at that moment than he had experienced in hundreds of years. The force of it left him near panting for breath, as he battled the animal urge to take her right then and there.

"Arigato," Kagome whispered softly with a bashful smile.

He had offered his protection. It was not to be taken lightly, for only a few in his long lifetime were worthy of that honored pledge. The events of recent days proved that Kagome was more than worthy. She was deserving.

Regrettably she left him then, to retire for the evening and rejuvenate her strength through a well deserved night of sleep. He watched her go in silence, before settling down in the overly stuffed black leather sofa and prepared to think on this new and unexpected turn of events.

He never intended for his emotions to become involved, but it was becoming increasingly clear that his well maintained wall of indifference was crumbling fast where Kagome was concerned. Just as a young human girl had done centuries ago, he knew that his cold heart was once more feeling the threat of a thaw.

With a sigh, he settled down for the night.

The first sign of trouble came almost three hours later.

It all began with the acrid scent of smoke drifting in the air. It came to him faintly, as if the source was safely far away, therefore he ignored the slight sting of it in his nose until the blasting call of emergency sirens grew to ear piercing levels. Sesshomaru glanced up at the clock hanging over the bar space and saw that it was early morning, still several hours until dawn.

The sound was loud, ringing in his sensitive ears and causing his head to ache. The sirens were soon joined by sounds of voices shouting and bullhorns blasting. He stood and walked over to the balcony, carefully opening a small peek hole in the bamboo shades with the tips of his fingers. Many floors below, on the roadway, he spotted several massive fire-engines and countless patrol cars sliding to a stop at the apartment building one block away.

A building fire. Nothing to worry about.

If only he had realized the implications behind it at the time.

Hindsight is most definitely 20/20.

The memory of the moment would cling to him like a damp mold for years. It was clearly a failure on his part. He told her that he would keep her safe. It was not an oath that he gave lightly, and besides, it tore his heart out to think of how frightened she must have been. He deserved the nightmares that haunted his sleep after seeing the fear in her eyes. It should never have happened.

But it had.

The helicopter blasted onto the scene at the exact same moment Rishou's apartment door was blown in. The enemy's plan was choreographed perfectly. He was forced to meet the soldiers invading at the door, carrying automatic weapons and using them with little regard to civilian casualties. The men he fought were wearing dark fatigues and wearing black masks. There were no identifying marks, but it was obviously Hotaka's team.

As he lashed out, effectively disarming - literally - the nearest assailant, there was a loud shattering of glass from the guestroom. A feminine scream of terror shook him to the core, but centuries of meditation kept him calm in the face of his worry for Kagome. He would be no use to her filled with bullet holes, though the human soldiers were doing their level best to see him full of lead.

Suddenly, from behind him, a round of automatic fire blasted through the apartment, accompanied by a savage battle cry. It all happened in seconds, and he braced himself to accept the bullets, however, the target, as he quickly realized, was not himself, but the black clad soldiers. They were clearly not expecting return fire, and Sesshomaru turned to see Rishou crouched behind his favorite chair wearing nothing but a pair of loose sleeping pants, and pouring off round after round of automatic gunfire while screaming like a madman. "You fucked up my shit you sons-of-bitches!"

Where the hell Rishou acquired a gun of that magnitude, he couldn't begin to guess, and at the moment he didn't care. Rishou's counter-attack clearly had the enemy shaken and that left him with an opening to go after Kagome.

Sesshomaru moved through the apartment, taking a slug in the shoulder that momentarily stole his breath, before bursting into the room where Kagome had been sleeping. The window was gone. Shards of glass were everywhere, and the scent of Kagome's blood ignited the beast within.

With a roar of anger he reached the opening, where he spotted the chopper lifting away, leaving long dangling ropes to swing wildly in the winds as they attempted to escape with their prize. Juria stared back at him from the wide opening in the side of the helicopter, and beside her was Kagome. She was clearly terrified, staring back at him, while one of Juria's henchman held a knife to her throat. There were several small cuts over her arms and legs, probably from the glass, but overall she didn't seem to be badly injured.

Sesshomaru placed one foot on the windowsill, and prepared to take flight. He refused to allow them to take Kagome. Just as he became airborne, Kagome screamed "No!", but it was too late. Juria sent him a wicked smile and aimed her weapon.

"Say goodbye to your miko, Taisho!" Juria's shout barely reached his ears above the hard thrum of the choppers blades, but the blast of her weapon rang all too clear. He was too close, and barely moved in time to avoid the first shot, but his luck failed him, and the second round hit home. Faintly he heard Kagome's anguished scream, as he looked down in shock. The bullet hit him hard, and sent him spiraling back. Blood was pouring from the chest wound, but even that would not stop him. He recovered quickly and moved to continue his pursuit, but his worst fear became realized when his ascent quickly shifted into descent.

He was falling. His limbs, even now, were growing numb. He struggled to push aside the effects of the drug, but it was a futile attempt at best. With one last look toward the fast fading helicopter, Sesshomaru saw Kagome fighting against her kidnappers as she screamed his name. Strangely enough, he wanted to demand that she cease her struggles, least she get hurt. Then everything shifted into a haze of silence, as the wind tore through his clothing, whipping through his hair, while he dropped through the air like a large sack of rice.

The impact staggered him with white hot pain and knocked the breath from his lungs in a mighty blow. He tried to move, but his body refused to answer his demands. He realized that his left arm had landed at an awkward angle, and he wished that he could blink the blood from his eyes, but even his eyelids refused to follow his command.

Around him the world was in chaos. Women were screaming. Children crying. Acrid smoke burned his throat and eyes as it drifted outward from the nearby burning building. He was as helpless as a newborn pup, and the enemy had taken Kagome from under his nose. For the first time in Sesshomaru's very long life, he felt real fear. Fear that his enemy would take advantage of his weakness, and kill him. If that happened, Kagome would die.

"Holy Buddha! He can't be alive," Rishou anxiously muttered when he spotted the broken, bleeding body of Taisho Shuusaka sprawled in a human crater located over a small patch of grass behind his apartment building. He grit his teeth against the pain in his leg, as he limped out to the dead body of the businessman.

Those bastards had got him in the leg, but he managed to clip one with a killing blow, and possibly tagged a second in the arm before they pulled out in full retreat. The fucking pricks weren't expecting the 'anime king' to return fire. Surprise, surprise. His hobbies went way beyond collecting anime shit. He and his buddies took their playtime serious, and they invested big money in dangerous toys.

When he reached the body of Taisho, Rishou kneeled down, just to confirm what he already knew. The guy had to be dead.

He pushed the thick strands of pale hair aside, grimacing at the bloody mess, and moved to check the dude's pulse. However, the sight that greeted him stilled his heart and made him sway in his reality.

Glowing eyes of the deepest red stared back at him, and they were not the eyes of a dead man.

Hell, they weren't even the eyes of a human.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! I promise not to leave you hanging too long for the next chapter. 


	14. Chapter 14 The Animal Within

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 14 - The Animal Within**

A/N: I am thrilled to issue my thanks to all those IY fans who voted for Madman in the 2nd Qtr. 2006 Inuyasha Fanguild Awards!

It placed:

2nd for Best Characterization - Sesshomaru (Yay! This one really makes me giddy!)

3rd place for Best Action-Adventure

3rd place for Best A/U

I have to say that I am absolutely tickled that Madman was favored by so many of you. It means so much to me to have your support. I promise to do my best in meeting your high expectations of Madman as well as all of my future stories!

I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of the winners of the IYFG 2nd Qtr. 2006 Awards. You earned it! WOOT!

* * *

"Look Kouga - you don't mind if I call you Kouga do you? - I feel a connection here between Taisho and Higurashi Kagome that go beyond what appears on the surface. Something's telling me that the connection I'm looking for could lead me to our missing girl. It's a gut feeling that only comes with twenty-five years of hard-earned experience. You say you know this girl. If you care for her life at all, you'll come clean on what you know." 

Kouga leaned back on Sesshomaru's finely crafted parlor chair and studied the detective thoughtfully. How much could he trust him with? From what he had learned so far, a serial killer was collecting any young females in the area with miko powers. For whatever reason they needed them, it couldn't be good.

Then there was the Dog. How _did_ Sesshomaru fit in this scheme? Why would someone collect and kill a bunch of miko's then kidnap an inuyoukai? Kouga's nose curled with distaste. Something stunk, and it wasn't Sesshomaru's un-fucking-believably clean penthouse suite.

The detective sitting across from him was honestly concerned for Kagome. He could see it in the graying circles under the human's dark expressive eyes. The wolf prince clenched his hands by his sides, fiercely trying to keep the rumbling growl of anger at bay. After all these centuries he finally discovers an era where Kagome is alive, and now some sick bastards had taken her from him. It royally pissed him off. Fortunately, time and age had taught him a few things, and one was to control his raging instincts. Humans could turn real ugly, real fast if they suddenly discovered that they weren't at the top of the food chain like they thought.

Secrecy was imperative for their survival. Could he risk the exposure of their species? The fact that Sesshomaru was a youkai could be very important to the investigation. It could lead them faster to Kagome.

Damn. He wished he had that super-duper mind control stuff like they used in all those vampire-werewolf novels. Then he could wipe out the guy's memory after they found Kagome. Shit. The only thing he could do was knock the guy half-senseless and make him think that he was delusional. _Hey... that might work..._ Kouga shook his head. _Nah. Can't do that. Human bodies are weak._ It would be his luck that the blow would kill the guy, and for some reason, he kind of liked the detective. Maybe that was because he wanted to save Kagome? _Doesn't matter._

Was the pitiful number of youkai left in this world worth the life of one human girl?

That was the real question. His answer came to him with little more thought than that.

The pure young innocent miko that he remembered so well was worth every single, sorry, youkai life. Not one of them alive was truly without sin. Hell, he himself had committed horrible atrocities on mankind with little consequence to himself. He preferred not to think on the terror and pain he and his pack, in their younger years, once delivered down to the humans in their territory.

After meeting Kagome he could never set his wolves on a human village again. As the years passed many of his clan even found their mates in mortal women. Good, honorable mothers and lovers. He was shamed to think that he once hunted such fragile, lovely creatures. He shuddered to think that one of his kind could have claimed Kagome beneath their fangs, robbing him of the privilege of knowing her.

Yes. Kagome was worth the risk. She fought for good and she had the sweetest ass he had ever seen on a female. She was worth every bit of it.

"You're right detective. I do know something that might help. Something that could put many, many lives in danger, especially yours, and mine." Kouga sought his face for signs of deceit. Anything, any reason that he should not trust this man with the secret of youkai. He found nothing. Only the eager frustration to get on with it.

Kouga began, "What I am about to tell you may be disturbing, hell, it's gonna blow your mind, but it's the tru..."

The shrill ring of a cell phone interrupted the silence of the room. Detective Kobayashi Naoshi grinned sheepishly, and grabbed for his phone. "Sorry. I need to get this."

Kouga suppressed the urge to knock some sense into the mortal, because he was pretty damn sure that nothing could be as important as what he was about to reveal. Naoshi said his greeting and Kouga could hear a male voice frantically speaking on the other end. Suddenly Naoshi went rigid and absently scooted to the very edge of his seat. His brows rose high, and then went deep into a frown. Then suddenly he flipped his notebook and scribbled an address.

"Stay put. I'll be there in twenty minutes." Naoshi flipped his phone shut and pocketed it thoughtlessly. He looked up and met the keen curiosity of Kouga Ookami, then said, "Kagome has been spotted." Ookami bolted up with excitement, and Naoshi stood as well, while holding his hands up in a placating manner. "BUT, she has been kidnapped again."

"FUCK! What the fucking hell?!" Kouga growled with a fury.

"Calm down! Follow me and I'll explain along the way," Naoshi called, as he headed for the front door in a flurry of beige coat-tails trailing behind him. Kouga wasted no time in catching up, and in minutes they were taking the elevator down. Kouga was impatient, and knew that he could have simply jumped to the ground level from the rooftop, but the cop was human, and thanks to the interruption, was still in the dark about the existence of youkai. Better take the elevator.

On the seemingly endless ride down it gave the detective time to fill Kouga in on what he knew.

"That call came from a man by the name of Kishimoto Rishou. He's a friend of Kagome who I've spoken to concerning her disappearance. He was pretty broken up about her kidnapping. I suspect they may have been in a relationship, but he insisted they were only friends." Kouga's eyes narrowed into a wild and dangerous blue. Naoshi noted the fact and began to wonder just how close Ookami and the missing miko had been in the past.

"Apparently, Kagome and Taisho paid Kishimoto a surprise visit earlier in the evening. Both were alive and well, but claimed to be running from - and this is the hard part to believe - a military division headed by General Matsuno Hotaka." Naoshi explained with a shake of his head.

The FYI meant shit to him. He only had one concern. Kouga cut in anxiously, unable to wait. "What about Kagome? What happened to her?"

"Hold on. I'm getting there. Approximately twenty minutes ago a group of heavily armed men busted into Rishou's apartment, shooting up the place. Kagome was taken, and Taisho's whereabouts are unknown."

"What about Kagome?! Was she hurt?" Kouga growled with increasing frustration.

"Not sure, son. We can only hope she's well."

* * *

Kagome glared daggers at the cold, evil, bitch that sat across from her on the helicopter. She was pretty sure she had never hated anyone as much as she did that woman. Juria. She was smug and demure as she confidently grazed her dark eyes over Kagome as if she were being weighed against some insane checklist. It really pissed her off. 

Cussing was so not her, but at the moment she was completely furious. And scared as hell. But she refused to think on that at the moment. For now, she was just furious. Juria shot Sesshomaru. She was forced to watch him falling helplessly from the sky until his body smashed into the ground with devastating force. Did he survive? _Kami, please let him have survived._ He was the only one who could save her.

He looked so broken. She shuddered against her will, and something inside her began to ache. _It must have been so painful._ Again Kagome's eyes shot back to Juria. She was a beautiful woman, with high cheekbones set delicately beneath dark hypnotic eyes. Unfortunately, those eyes held a darkness that had nothing to do with color. She carried herself with the confidence of a seasoned soldier, and it made Kagome feel much less than adequate to defeat her in a fight.

Oh, Kagome could fight, and fight pretty well. There was no way not to learn when she was in the constant company of warriors. Sango and Miroku had taught her self-defense and even a few offensive moves, but Kagome wasn't delusional. Juria would whip her butt. So fighting was out. Not to mention, even if she did manage to overpower her, there was Mr. Creepy sitting beside her. He carried a variety of knives strapped to various parts of his black combat suit. He had empty eyes. Eyes that could kill without so much as a care.

A chill ran up her spine.

Then there was the problem of the helicopter. She was a miko, not a darn pilot. She had no hope of landing it on her own. _Who am I kidding? I would never make it that far._

Poor Sesshomaru. He must be in terrible pain. She wanted so badly to know if he was okay. Juria seemed to know this, and it pleased her. Kagome scrunched her nose up and pried the corner of her top lip up in a sneer. She would not show them how scared she was. She would not let them know how worried she was for Sesshomaru.

_He survived the Wind Scar_.

Common sense was telling her that Sesshomaru had suffered greater injuries than that fall, but the practical knowledge of it just wasn't helping. She had not felt such a connection with another since she was snatched from the Sengoku Jidai. Sesshomaru was stirring feelings that had grown dormant in her body since she lost Inuyasha. He felt it too. She was sure of it. The way he kissed her...

She had felt his need and his loneliness in that kiss. Where would it lead? Would they survive this to find out?

Kagome's thoughts were brought up short when Juria began shouting orders to the pilot of the aircraft. Apparently they had arrived at their destination.

* * *

Rishou placed two calls. First he called his homey, Tai and told him to grab a couple of the guys and get their asses to his apartment as fast as they could. Then, he called the Detective. He gave Kobayashi the bare facts, unsure of how much to reveal, but it was necessary to call him. Despite the fact that some kind of _non-human_ - for lack of a better word, was, possibly, dying in his guest bedroom. By the Great Buddha, he had no explanation for that one. 

After the guys arrived, he brought them out to the place where Taisho lay. He warned them about the eyes, but it freaked them out just about as bad as it had him the first time he saw them. _Not human_. The hair stood on the nape of his neck just thinking about the erie glow as they watched them, helplessly, while they moved his body. He never made a sound, but Rishou suspected that it had something to do with the shot he took to the chest. Whatever it was brought the big guy down hard and he had yet to move.

Of course, the answer could be that his back was broken, or neck. That could cause paralysis. Hell, he didn't know, all he knew was that the look in those eyes spelled death. If he somehow survives, there will be blood to pay for what was done tonight.

Underneath the panic and the shock, Rishou was almost insane with worry for Kagome. Those fucking bastards took her right out from under their nose! By the Gods, he hoped they could get to her in time.

Rishou looked down at the alien being lying on his bedroom floor. He realized that Taisho was regaining some amount of his mobility back, because he was soon able to blink. Rishou watched in amazement, and a little bit of fear. What was he? Was he youkai? Or some alien from another planet? The movement of those crimson slashed eyelids only served to make Taisho more formidable looking, even though he was obviously severely handicapped at the moment.

A low rumble from his chest gave Rishou's heart a start. It was like a wounded animal. One that would rip you apart if you dared to get too close. What the hell was he supposed to do with him? He needed a doctor, but what _kind_ of doctor? Could a human doctor even help something like Taisho?

Rishou took a steadying breath and shook his head. He had to keep his wits about him. Kagome was gone. This guy could be imperative to saving her. Should he wait till the cop arrived, and let him handle it? He wasn't sure what the hell the cops would do with Taisho. Something like this wasn't an everyday thing, and that was an understatement from hell.

Maybe he should try to communicate with him? It was worth a try. Taisho couldn't kill him while he lay so wounded. _What about later?_ Damn. Tough call. Another deep breath, and Rishou said, "I need to ask you some questions. Since you can't talk right now, maybe you could blink. Blink once for yes and twice for no, then he asked his first question. "Should I call an ambulance?" Fuck. That sounded pretty damn lame after he said it.

Shuusaka blinked twice.

"No. Okay... will you... heal yourself?"

The red eyes seemed to burn with flame before he blinked once. Rishou whistled softly in wonder. "The detective over Kagome's case is on the way. I've got my guys talking to the police right now, but I'm going to have to talk to them soon. I guess you want me to keep quiet about you being here?"

He blinked once and the low constant rumble in his chest rose to a more threatening level. Rishou held up his hands and said, "Hey, calm down dude. I'm just trying to help." There was something wild and feral in that stare, but the thing that made him really uneasy was the intelligent calculation burning in the red flame. There was fury there. And retribution.

Suddenly, Tai shouted from the other room. "Rishou! Get your ass out here!"

In the hallway stood a dozen cops, and every one of them looked highly pissed off. Rishou turned his full attention on the policemen who wanted to know what the hell had happened here. He started to explain, but instead found himself suddenly slammed against the wall, with his hands being restrained behind him. "What the hell? This is my crib, man. You got the wrong guy!"

"Let him go."

All eyes turned to the low voice of authority. Detective Kobayashi Naoki commanded his way through the crowded hallway, glanced once at Rishou, then turned his attention to the officer holding his arms.

"This case is under my jurisdiction. This man is a key witness to my case. I'll take it from here," Kobayashi ordered with ease, as he flipped out his identification for inspection. One of the officers made a call to the headquarters and in minutes Rishou was released, and sitting on the ruined fluff of his once overly stuffed leather chair. Damn he was going to miss that chair.

It was then that he noticed the slick dressed dude following Kobayashi. The guy looked anxious, and was looking all around his place like he was searching for something. Strange as it was, he even sniffed the air several times like he could smell something that they could not.

The detective introduced him as Ookami Kouga, an old acquaintance of Kagome's, as well as Taisho's. Rishou's brows creased suspiciously. Just how well did he know Taisho?

Rishou's answer came when Ookami wondered off and sniffed toward the guest bedroom, but he only paused briefly. Then he turned toward his own bedroom, and Rishou quickly stood. "Hey man! You can't go in there."

Too late. Ookami slammed his bedroom door open, stepped inside with a growl and said, "I thought I smelled dog in here."

Rishou hurried to his bedroom and went in behind the intrusive asshole that just invaded his privacy. His anger was stilled when he spotted the red eyes of Taisho peering at him in the darkness like a dangerous predator. Some deeply ingrained instinct of self-preservation rose to the surface, and before his brain had a time to kick in, Rishou took a step back.

Taisho's low toned rumbling growl had risen in ferocity, and Rishou hoped to hell he couldn't move for awhile yet. Amazingly, Ookami didn't seem concerned at all. He just brushed the clearly threatening sound aside, and continued his taunts.

"So, old man. Look's like you've gone and done it now. I can't believe that you lost MY WOMAN!" Kouga shouted with a hard stomp of his foot that left he whole floor quaking.

It was then that Rishou realized that he was one too. Ookami was the same as Taisho. No mere human could have shaken the very foundation of the building with one angry stomp of his foot. _Holy Shit_, Rishou murmured as he took another step back. Things were not looking too good for what remained of his apartment. If those two went at it, things could get bad fast. One more step back and he bumped into Kobayashi who, at a glance, was staring at the scene with an open mouth gape. Obviously, he wasn't the only one in the dark about things.

Suddenly, Taisho found his voice, but Rishou quickly discovered that he liked him better when he couldn't talk.

Sesshomaru had listened to these fools long enough. He was surrounded by imbeciles, and not one of them was searching for Kagome. The impact of the fall had damaged him internally, and left him with a broken wrist and arm, but even now he could feel his youkai blood speeding through his veins searching for injury and weaving a pattern of healing throughout muscle and bone. The years had made him stronger. The last time he received such grave injuries it had taken two days to heal. Now only hours. It left him feeling strong and confident in his power. He would save Kagome. And he will then slaughter every single one of those mortals who had anything to do with taking her from him.

_They will die for crossing me._

The feeling was coming back, slowly, but surely. He first became aware of the burning pain in his chest wound, where the bullet remained. His tissue refused to expel it yet, and he was suffered with the burning sting until all was working well once more. He was thankful his eyelids now worked, for he was sure his eyeballs were going to shrivel up like dry stinging prunes. He wasn't sure what hurt more, his eyes or his arm.

As he growled his warning, with his beast free to rule, he could feel the bone melding back together, mending the breaks, and giving him much needed relief. Oddly enough, he wondered if perhaps the bullet's poison had a double, hidden effect. Could the foul substance not only leave him helplessly, and shamefully immobile, but is it possible that it may aid in speeding up his natural healing abilities?

It was possible. The research Hotaka is working on could provide for any number of possibilities.

When the wolf barged in Sesshomaru felt a curious sense of relief, although he enforced his warning by pumping up his growl. Even though Kouga was considered an ally, and even possibly a friend, he had no trust of a youkai coming so close while he lay unable to defend himself. Youkai were notoriously untrustworthy. Especially wolves.

When the wolf began a tirade about Kagome belonging to him, Sesshomaru felt sure that a blood vessel had just popped in his head. It infuriated his riled beast to an extreme that left even him taken aback. The rumble in his chest exploded into a terrifying growl, while his lips drew back in a fierce snarl that revealed all four of his long, sharp, canines.

Unfortunately the wolf was never that smart. The warning was completely ignored.

"You let them take her. If she's hurt, I'm gonna kick your ass, Sesshomaru!"

Rishou looked to Taisho curiously. Kagome introduced the man as Shuutaka. Why did Ookami call him by 'Sesshomaru'? Odd name. He looked up to the detective standing by his side, and found him watching with keen interest. Rishou didn't want to be in the detectives shoes. Cops had to try and break up fights, right? How the hell would Kobayashi pull those two apart? He would probably end up tore to shreds.

Sesshomaru was so furious with the idiot wolf that he actually had a moments reprieve from worrying over Kagome. It certainly didn't last, because the wolf was still just as crass as usual. Sesshomaru flexed his claw tipped fingers. If he could just move his arms, then he could reach out and strangle that fool where he stood. _Damn!_

When he felt the welcome tingle of his tongue he wasted no time in growling a vicious "SILENCE!", which came out in a deep jarring rumble that shook the walls, as his beast still reigned free. The fear in the air emitted by the mortals turned up a notch with his shout, but at that point, he could have cared less if they had defecated themselves. He was not going to listen to another delusional declaration of bonding between Kagome and the barbaric wolf. She did not belong to Kouga.

She belonged to him.

He knew it then, as clearly and precisely, as anything that he had ever known. His feelings toward Kagome had grown beyond a simple fondness and respect. He cared for her wellbeing. He wanted to see her smile, and he longed to inhale a deep breath full of her sweet spicy scent. He wanted to run his hands through her thick hair, and watch her face as he taught her the pleasures of the flesh.

And the idea of another male doing the same brought out a raging possessiveness that left him shaken.

"Wolf, take care your blabbering mouth, for I will gladly relieve you of your tongue if you do not cease your yapping." There, his voice was settling down, smoothing out. He could feel the beast receding as his body healed his wounds. Soon he could move his hands, then his feet. He waited impatiently, plotting the next steps to retrieving from his enemy something precious that was stolen.

It had been a long lonely life, and for the first time in centuries Sesshomaru felt an excitement for living. It came to him in an unexpected package, but he would cherish it none-the-less. Kagome belonged to him. Those who took her would pay with their lives.

Kouga finally eased up on the insults, and turned back to the wide-eyed humans standing behind him. "What? You haven't ever met a youkai?"

* * *

On the landing pad, with her long ebony strands of hair flying wildly about, Kagome took a good look around, and from the descriptions she had heard from Rishou, she guessed that she was now in the military research base ran by Matsuno Hotaka. Rishou's friend was right. There were soldiers with guns everywhere. One guard was holding two ferocious dogs that snarled and lunged toward her with long teeth bared. Kagome hoped that leash the guard was using held strong or she would be minced meat. Several soldiers glanced her way, but none of their gazes lingered when they spotted Juria by her side. 

At the rear entrance Juria stopped and entered a code. Kagome tried to remember the numbers, but there were too many of them and she pushed them too fast. The thick metal door opened with soundless gears. The door was quiet, but what lay beyond was not. She heard the awful wails of creatures long denied their freedom. Their mournful cries helped to strengthen her resolve to stop the ones responsible, with or without help. She had to figure out a way. She just had to.

The long white halls were well-lit with nearly blinding lights. Juria reached out at a corner and roughly grabbed hold of Kagome's arm to guide her way. Kagome snatched her arm back. "Don't touch me!"

Juria looked down at the much shorter woman and chuckled menacingly. "You sure are a feisty one. Different than the others. You are the one. I feel it in my gut. You put up a brave front, but I'll wager that you're hoping your youkai lover will come and save you from your fate. Even if he did live through that plunge to the hard ground below, he will never succeed. This facility is impenetrable. Nothing can get past our defenses. We will have your power, miko. Accept you destiny."

Kagome hissed, "He is _not_ my lover!" Not that it was relevant. She just didn't appreciate people thinking she was loose.

These people were insane. They held no moral value of life. Evil. She was in big trouble this time. _Don't panic. Keep it together._ They want her power? _So what else is new,_ Kagome silently grumbled. Ever since she fell through that well so long ago, there has been someone trying to kill her for her power. _The fun never ends,_ she thought with resentful sarcasm.

Suddenly she was jerked to a stop, again, by Juria. Kagome shot her a death glare before pulling against her viselike grip. Juria wasn't just a pretty face. She was strong, and Kagome's struggle was futile. The creepy guy that held the knife to her throat punched a code on a small panel mounted beside of a shiny steel door. The door opened, and Kagome was shoved roughly inside. Juria gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes and said, "Make yourself at home, miko." Then she slammed the door behind her.

Kagome looked around her cell, because that's exactly what it was even with all of the shiny metal and medical grade white walls. There was a small cot in the corner and a shiny steel toilet beside a small, matching sink. There wasn't even any tissue. _Jerks!_

With a heavy sigh, she sat down on the cot and tried to decide what to do. If they were youkai, she could purify them into dust. Unfortunately, the bad guys this time were human. Sometimes the human heart can be as dark and corrupt as any youkai. Evil came in many forms and it wasn't race, or species, specific.

Her mind drifted to Sesshomaru. She was really worried about his injuries. How long would it take a full youkai to heal from such a horrible ordeal? For Inuyasha, it would have taken about three days, but he was half-demon, so she couldn't judge by that. Would she still be alive in three days?

_Stop it! I can't think like that. I have to think positive. I will get out of this... somehow._

* * *

Juria found Hotaka-sama just outside of his office. She jerked her lean frame to a halt and gave her commander a crisp salute. 

"At ease," Hotaka swiftly ordered. He was anxious to know the results of their latest attempt to capture the miko. "Report."

Juria relaxed her stance and smiled assuredly at her mentor. "Mission successful, sir. The miko is currently housed in cell H-3."

Hotaka visible relaxed before catching himself and regaining his somewhat stiff military composure. "Wonderful. And the youkai?"

Juria frowned and clenched her teeth before answering his question. "Possible kill, sir, but the death could not be confirmed. We had unexpected return fire, and our first priority was to bring in the miko alive, so we evacuated the area as soon as we had her."

Hotaka wasn't too pleased with that answer, but the fact that Juria acquired the miko made up for that particular failure. He decided to let it pass. "I have faith that you will bring him down."

Juria smiled with knowing confidence then gave another respectful salute, and with the stomp of her foot she loudly announced her allegiance. "Hail Hotaka!" A chorus of male affirmation followed from all near and Hotaka beamed with glory. Finally his plan for a greater world was underway. He will bring an end to hunger and poverty for all that bow before him. It will be the fall of structured government in every land, and from the rubble a new world order shall appear. One lead by him.

* * *

A/N: Things are really coming together now! Soon to come... Kagome meets General Matsuno Hotaka face-to-face and he reveals his warped plan for conforming the world to his rule. Watch out Hotaka! Sesshomaru sets out to get his miko back. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 

Ja ne


	15. Chapter 15 A Modern Day Battle

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 15 - A Modern Day Battle**

A/N: Hi everyone! I know that I've neglected getting this chapter out, and most of you know it's because I have been so wrapped up in getting my next fic, _Violation of Honor_, started and posted. I did, however, promise an update to _Madman_ soon, so here it is! Enjoy!

* * *

Around two hours of pacing and frantic planning was all the time that Kagome had to herself, before someone came for her. Although her attempts at bravery were admirable for a young woman in her precarious position, the sound of the door opening sent a nervous shudder through her body. She backed up to the far wall, unsure of what was happening and why. All she really knew was that the other miko's who had been brought here never made it out alive.

When the polished metal door slid to a stop, two big men in white coats came in and grabbed her arms. She struggled, and managed to stomp one guy's foot. "Let me go! You people are going to regret this!"

The man with the injured foot growled in anger and snatched her arm behind her back hard, causing her to wince, then he and the other man slapped a pair of handcuffs on her. Kagome grit her teeth against the uncomfortable position, and the fact that they intentionally tightened to cuffs too much, making them dig into her wrists.

Her struggle proved a complete waste of time, and in seconds she was shoved out into the hallway where two soldiers waited to escort them. They headed down the hall, taking two turns, one to the left and one to the right, before reaching a rather dark corridor that stretched for quite a way.

Kagome wondered why this part of the building was not as starkly white and meticulously sterile as the portion that she had been held in. The walls were not painted, and there were pipes and wiring trays running overhead, while several shallow puddles of water had formed on the floor from dripping pipes in various locations. The overhead lights were somewhat dim, and a couple of them flickered like they would soon go out altogether.

Their footsteps echoed loudly in the otherwise empty space, and seemed to amplify just how alone she was at the moment. No friends. No family. And no one to save her. The four men escorting her made no small talk at all, not that she wanted to talk to them or anything. It would, however, have helped to ease the eerie feeling that the place was giving her.

In fact, the farther down the corridor that she went, the more the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something was at the end of that hall that really gave her the willies. She didn't bother trying to guess what it could be, because she would obviously be finding out for herself all too soon.

When they stopped in front of a set of double metal doors, shining and new, Kagome thought how strangely out of place they seemed in that dank hallway. The taller soldier stepped up and punched in a code on the out-of-place keypad, and the door lock popped just before the right hand door opened on its own.

Inside, things were back to looking sterile, but the space was limited to a small central area in the middle with several closed doors located around. She counted three men and two women scurrying about wearing lab coats. Some were carrying clipboards, one was pushing a cart of vials, and another carried an extremely clean looking toolbox. One wall was nothing but glass, except for the polished metal door, and inside there were rows of beakers and microscopes lined up between some pretty high tech computer equipment.

She was pulled to a closed door on the left, and after the tall soldier knocked someone on the other end called out for them to enter. Inside it looked like a small conference room. There was a long table surrounded by six cushioned chairs, and one at the head of the table. That one was occupied by a man.

And behind him stood Juria.

The soldiers immediately saluted the man, who made a motion with his hand that set them both at ease, but standing guard, one on each side of the door. The two men in lab coats were released to leave and then the man turned his full attention on Kagome.

"Ah... and finally I meet the miko. Juria tells me that she is sure you are the one, but first, let me introduce myself. I am Matsuno Hotaka, and I believe you remember Juria?"

Kagome's lip curled in disgust before she replied, "How could I forget her?"

Hotaka chuckled and said, "Yes, I find her quite unforgettable as well." He glanced away to capture Juria's eyes for a brief moment, and Kagome felt something pass between them. Was there more to their relationship than it appeared?

Hotaka then stood up and began a slow leisurely pacing of the room while he spoke. "You are probably wondering why you have been brought here, and I intend to explain. You see, I have a vision."

Kagome interrupted him with a mumbled, "They always do."

Hotaka ignored her sarcasm, and continued as if she had not spoken at all. "A vision that will change the world as we know it. I can not stand by and allow things to continue on the disastrous course that is bringing our world to its knees. There is suffering in the streets, miko. Suffering that can and will, be ended once I am in control. There are petty wars and fighting that kill and slaughter thousands of innocents each year. Famine and disease plague the less fortunate, while others live lives of opulent wealth and comfort. Humans use the land, water and air, poisoning Mother Earth and insuring the future extinction of everything as we know it. Governments across the globe care only for their people, their allies, and their wealth. They care not about the outcome of their endeavors.

"I care. I care so much that I refuse to stand by and let it continue. I will change things. I will make this world a place that will offer equality for everyone under one rulership. When the changes that I have planned are implemented, no one will go hungry, children will not be forced to fight with automatic weapons, and disease will be wiped out with mass disposal. The world will be remade. The strong will take over, just as it was meant to be. The new order will bring peace and prosperity to each and every human being alive. No one will squander wealth while their neighbor fights starvation. There will be equality for all under my rule."

Kagome stood there, handcuffed and helpless, but that hardly stopped her from giving her opinion of his vision. "Well, your plan sounds nice, but it's ridiculous. You're dreaming. The world governments are not just going to sit by and let you take over. They will stop you. The world is diverse, made up of different beliefs and standards. You will never force them all to conform to yours."

Hotaka smiled, and Kagome was forced to admit that he was a very handsome man. His features were chiseled and hard, and his posture stiff and unapproachable, but behind the military uniform and dark, short cropped hair, was a gorgeous hunk of man. Too bad he was completely insane.

What a waste.

"My dear, that is what you are here for. I have the means to bring them all to their knees and I intend to do just that. I will destroy my enemies with an army of supremely lethal potency. A legion of soldiers the likes of which the world has never seen," Hotaka confidently assured her.

Kagome made a sound of disbelief, as she was well aware that his army had something to do with youkai. She just wasn't sure what. "There aren't enough youkai left in the world to put together an army of them. Besides, I doubt they will be too happy about being forced to kill for you. They will turn on you the first chance they get."

Hotaka walked to the miko and stood just before her. She was a pretty young woman, full of spunk. He liked that. It was a shame that she would have to die for their cause, but in a war, sacrifices had to be made. "You are different than the rest. You 're bold and smart. Perhaps it is time that I take you on a tour of our facilities. I wish for you to see the future."

Kagome kept her comment to herself this time. She wanted to get a look at the place, so that she could be looking for a way to escape. She forced her lips to curl just a fraction and said, "I would like that."

Juria didn't look too pleased at the close proximity of her leader to Kagome, but she couldn't care less. She didn't exactly like breathing the same air as either one of them, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Hotaka barked an order to his men, which immediately came to attention. One of them opened the door and led them out. Kagome followed Hotaka and Juria, while the shorter soldier pulled up the rear. They stepped out into the brightly lit center hallway, and walked over to another double set of metal doors. One had a small window in it, while the other was solid. As was the case with the rest of the place, the door came equipped with its own keypad entry, but this time there was an additional retina scanning system. Juria immediately moved to allow the scan to use her distinct eye pattern, and once it was complete the door began to slide open. A sharp beeping alarm went off and continued to blast its shrill beats until they passed through and closed the door behind them.

Inside, Kagome went slack jawed. It was like something out of an alien movie. She blinked hard, hoping that she didn't see what she knew that she saw. The force of combined jaki from thousands of huge pulsing bulb-like pods hit her like a sledgehammer, and had the soldier behind her not moved to shove her forward, she would have probably landed on her butt. Her breath was stolen and it took her a moment to regain control of herself.

Something inside the grayish green pod nearest her rolled as if excited from her presence, and she felt the stirring of a power long dormant deep inside or her entire body.

It was reacting to the Shikon.

She stepped away, choosing to walk the row directly down the middle, not getting too close to the pods on either side. Whatever they were, they were being grown on short table like stands that supported them in a round glass-like cylinders, where the thick fleshy petals expanded from. Connected to the base of each pod, there were wires, and also clear tubes that were pumping strange fluids in and out of them. The lighting was dimmed and the low hum of electricity and machinery mingled with the sloshing sucking noises of the living things to create an overall creepy effect.

It was completely disgusting.

"These, priestess, are my future soldiers. You see here the first throng of youkai warriors. Warriors, I might add, that have specific genetic connections to your youkai, Hotaka announced proudly.

"Oh my God," Kagome whispered in sickening awe. "How can this be?"

Hotaka turned and stared her in the eye. "The how of it is not important to you. It is the why of it that matters most. Each pod represents one developing youkai with unimaginable powers. Currently they are only just over one week old, however, due to the contributions of science, their growth rate is beyond all imagining. I expect a fully developed male product to be extracted within six months. All cloned from DNA gathered from Taisho Shuusaka. Training will begin immediately after hatching. Readiness after that is greatly dependent upon the creatures mental capacity, and inherited fighting skills, but our best estimates put completion around one year."

Kagome could hardly believe her ears. DNA from Sesshomaru? Dear Kami above, what kind of abominations had this man created? The implications of it were terrifying. Thousands of Sesshomaru-like warriors? Hotaka was mad. He had no idea what he was creating. No idea of just how deadly his so-called army was going to be. No one would be able to stop them. Not even him.

She didn't say a word aloud, but silently she was reeling. Her mind was shouting at the horrors that lay ahead if Matsuno Hotaka wasn't stopped. How could he have come so far so fast? It was astonishing that he had managed to do this at all, much less speed up the cycle to such unbelievable lengths. As they walked down the isle, surrounded on all sides by rows upon rows of living, pulsing, demon spawns, Kagome began to feel ill. She couldn't allow this lunatic to succeed. She had to stop him, no matter the cost. The squirming creatures inside those pods could never live to see the light of day, or the entire world would be in jeopardy.

No one could control an army of youkai with the power of Sesshomaru running in their veins. No one.

Heck, it took five centuries before she could even have a decent conversation with the guy.

Hotaka continued walking, proudly displaying his evil horde, flaunting his power and basking in his own glory. Kagome didn't hear much of what he said. Most of it was rambling praises concerning himself and his staff of scientists. All she could think of were the repercussions of letting these things live. Would they have all of Sesshomaru's powers? Would they produce poisonous acid that smelled deceptively of sweet wisteria blossoms? Would they each be able to harness their jaki into a deadly whip that could slash through any foe?

Would they be able to transform into towering inu's with mouths full of massive fangs and corrosive drool?

_Kami above, help us in our hour of need,_ she silently prayed.

"And that leads me to the reason for your presence here, miko," Hotaka said, before turning to Kagome. "I am quite aware of the potential for disaster where my youkai army is concerned. However, my special team has created the ultimate device for demon control. Even now, each pod is connected to the machine, giving us complete dominion over their lives and deaths. A machine that will be used to harness the one thing that can destroy one of their kind in an extremely painful manner."

Kagome listened, but still held her tongue. Nothing that she could say would change his mind. Things had already gone too far. He was completely demented in his delusions of control over the creatures growing inside the pods. He was beyond reason.

A madman.

When they had circled around, once more reaching the door that they first entered, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. The continuous pressure of developing jaki from so many youkai contained in one large warehouse was literally making her sick. Then again, maybe it was the fear of what would be unleashed on the world if she didn't figure out a way to stop them.

When the door opened, they walked through and stopped only to secure it behind them. Kagome thought that it was kind of dumb, because if those things were really like Sesshomaru, that stupid door wouldn't stop them from getting out.

They walked in silence back down the damp corridor, until they once more entered the main complex. Hotaka lead the way into the building and through several hallways, before stopping at a door leading to a huge laboratory.

Kagome was ushered inside with a none-too-gentle push from Juria, and then Matsuno turned around with a smile. He held both hands out to indicate the room. "You see before you the key. In this room my team of elite scientists have successfully developed The Purity Machine."

He pointed to a sleek machine that was connected to a frightening contraption that looked just the right size for a miko to fit in. Kagome shuddered and took a step back.

"The Purity Machine will contain the purification powers of a strong miko, using it to regenerate even more purification, which will in turn sustain the machine indefinitely. The purification energy will then be broken down and distributed to individual devices that allows the Handlers to control their demon charges, or kill them if one proves too rebellious. With the fear of purification on their heals, the youkai will be at our mercy, completely under my control."

Juria and one of the guards then grabbed Kagome beneath both arms, and the third soldier released the cuffs binding her wrists. She didn't get a chance to rub the feeling back into them, before she was snatched over to the section of the machine that scared her most. Though she made a valiant effort in fighting against them, Kagome was no match for three trained military agents, and in minutes she found herself securely strapped onto a tilted, cross-shaped table.

Panic was beginning to set in.

She was now getting a sense of what had killed the other miko's.

The Purity Machine.

Hotaka then confirmed her fear by explaining, "It is unfortunate, however, that the machine will drain you completely. If you have enough power, and I suspect that you just might, it will kick start the machine into full operation." He stepped closer, and reached up to gently wipe a stray tear from beneath her eye. In a softer tone he tried to comfort her, "You must remember that your sacrifice will in turn save the world. By giving your life, you will play a part in saving the human race. It is an honorable death."

Kagome then spat in his face.

* * *

"What the hell is that shit coming from his fingers?" Rishou asked as he pulled his shirt up to cover his nose.

Kouga glanced over his shoulder at Sesshomaru and shrugged. "Oh that? That's just his poison. It's like acid, really. Damn. Maybe you better call the apartment below. And maybe the two below that, because that stuff eats through anything it touches."

Rishou took a cautious step forward and leaned up to take a closer look. The evidence was right there as proof. From every claw-tipped finger was slowly dripping a sweet smelling green substance that was plopping on the floor and eating its way right through. "Fuck! This shit is gonna cost me a fortune."

Rishou turned to run out of his bedroom and grab the phone. He immediately hit the number for building maintenance. Maybe they could get down there and stop it before someone got hurt.

Naoshi frowned at the sight, and leaned toward Ookami. "Is he doing it on purpose?"

Kouga huffed with a chuckle. "My guess is that he's really pissed off."

"Shit," Naoshi breathed. "I've just entered into the Twilight Zone."

Kouga raised his brows. "Just everyday shit to me."

Naoshi gave him and incredulous look and then turned back to the youkai, now sitting up, on the bed. _How can he do that? _Just under two hours previously, he was shot, and fell more than two hundred feet to the ground like a rock. But amazingly, he appeared to be nearly recovered. There was not a trace of pain on his face, but there was dangerous determination in his eyes. Naoshi had not doubts at all about what Taisho was. He was a fierce animal with the intelligence and power of a god.

It sent a shiver of fear trickling through him.

Sesshomaru was pleased with his progress, though it could have been much faster. The drug was finally wearing off and he was regaining full control over his muscles. Already his jaki flowed strongly through him and his beast was howling for blood.

His arm hurt like hell and the bullet was just now, slowly, giving way. It should be free of him very soon.

And when it is.

May the Gods have mercy on those fool's souls, because he _would not_.

Kagome had been with those wretched worms for over two hours and there was no telling what she was going through. All he could think of was getting her back. It was uncommon for him to feel so strongly about something. Even obtaining Tetsusaiga had never instigated such strong emotions. He had to get her back. His entire being insisted on it.

He was in love with her.

_Damn_. He hadn't meant for that to happen. He had never been in love in his entire long life. In fact, he had determined long ago that there was no such thing, that it was fantasy built from the imaginings of whimsical women everywhere.

He hated it when he was wrong.

A demon, in love with a human miko? The Fates could not have been crueler. Those bitches really loved to tamper with lives. They must achieve some cosmic gratification when they manipulate such plots into the lives of two individuals so completely wrong for each other. He cursed them a thousand times.

He shifted, stretching his back muscles that tingled with heat as his body healed itself. He drew in a deep breath and accepted his fate. He had somehow fallen for the one woman that could irritate him into a rage. But, she could also stir him to a heated frenzy with just one look. Damn. He had it bad.

She was loyal and brave and unbelievably beautiful to his eyes. Her smile was sunshine and her tears pain. There was truly a kind heart inside of her luscious chest, and he decided at that moment that it would belong to him.

He was unsure of how she felt about him. He knew how well he could bring forth her anger. He enjoyed doing that, but did she want him as badly as he wanted her? The way she kissed him before, in that beautiful dress, he was sure that she felt something. Was it merely lust? Or did her feelings run deeper?

Could she ever see him without thinking of Inuyasha?

That question brought on a fiercely possessive emotion that fed his seething anger. He looked down, as he felt his claws splintering through wood, and growled.

It was time.

Sesshomaru stood, appearing in complete control, but in truth, giving himself a moment to regain himself. The act of standing seemed to rip some of the newly mended tendons in his chest loose again. For a moment he nearly hissed from the pain, but he refused to show another ounce of weakness in front of these imbeciles standing around him.

"Wolf," he growled, "Are you going to just stand there, or drive me home?" Had he been one-hundred percent recovered, he would have flown to save time, but as it was, he was forced to get there by automobile.

Kouga tossed him a confused look and then nodded to the human detective. "I rode with him."

Since when did Kouga become partners with a Tokyo police detective?

Sesshomaru was just about to insist the detective drive, when Rishou came in and tossed a set of keys to him. Sesshomaru snatched them out of the air and raised a brow in question.

"Take my car, dude. It's the tricked out blue Lexus parked in the garage across the street. Third floor. My homies are coming by to get me. I'll catch up with you later."

Sesshomaru nodded in thanks, then turned to Kouga. He tossed him the keys with a little more force than was necessary and said, "You drive."

"Fuck. Why have I always got to drive?" They left the humans standing side by side, watching them leave, while Kouga continued to bicker.

Kobayashi asked, "Where are you going, Taisho?"

Sesshomaru stopped and turned around with a malicious smile that made him damned uncomfortable.

"To do what I do best."

Naoshi narrowed his eyes, "And what's that?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed red for just a brief second when he answered, "Kill." He then turned around and continued on his way.

Naoshi just stood watching them go. Hell, he couldn't stop them if he tried.

Kouga's voice was barely within hearing distance when they heard him ask, "Do you even know how to drive? I swear, I don't remember ever seeing you drive. Not once."

Ookami's voice faded in the distance, just as the building maintenance man stepped out of the utility elevator. "What the hell's going on Rishou? That shit you spilled has eaten straight through the bedrooms of five different apartments below yours!"

Rishou sighed heavily and dropped his head.

"Shit." _As if things weren't already bad enough._

* * *

Kouga swung around the sharp corner with superior control, gripping the steering wheel like a lover, while being hugged within fine leather, as lights from the buildings lining the streets sped by in a flash of yellow light. "Damn. This is one fine fucking car. Sweet, I tell ya. You really should drive it, dog."

Sesshomaru glared at the wolf. "Slow down, before you wreck, and force me to endure another two hours of recovery. Then, I _will_ be forced to kill you."

Kouga ignored him and took the next corner at 125 kph, causing Sesshomaru to release an irritated growl. Obviously, Kouga's driving had not improved in the last forty-five years. Now he remembered why he had once swore to never ride with him again.

If he wanted to fly, he would get out and transform.

He really missed his Limousine and driver right now.

When they arrived at his loft, Sesshomaru opened the vertically lifting door and stepped out of the modified street car. His mind was racing with things that he needed to gather before entering the military compound. Between mentally tallying off his list of available weaponry, and images of Kagome's frightened face, he barely heard Kouga in the background exclaiming how awesome the neon lights were that offset the blue metallic paint job perfectly.

Two laser-like chirps signaled that the wolf had set the car alarm, and in seconds they both leapt to the rooftop, avoiding the elevator altogether. Since he owned the whole top floor, the roof was all his. Scattered around were huge potted plants native to the area and many rare tropical ones that were suited to the climate. He normally took his time here to enjoy the beauty of his collection, but he had things to do. People to kill.

Sesshomaru punched in his code on the security alarm that released the lock to the patio door and left it open behind him. Ookami followed in his tracks as he pushed through his flat with rigid determination. In his bedroom he opened the closet and stepped inside.

"Whoa, man. I don't think I need to watch your rank ass dress. I'll...," Kouga's comment faded off when Sesshomaru clicked a hidden button behind a golf bag.

"Kobayashi has been here recently," Sesshomaru muttered with a growl. He didn't like people rummaging through his things. He would have to have a word with the good detective.

Kouga followed him into a hidden door and through a narrow corridor that gave him claustrophobia, but when Sesshomaru opened another sliding door that lead into a separate chamber his eyes grew wide. Inside he saw the Fangs of the Great Inu no Taisho. The Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. His eyes widened at the sight of the ancient armor and several pieces of magnificent artwork from long dead artists created centuries ago. "Whew," he whistled in appreciation. "Very nice. You've got your own private mini-museum here."

Sesshomaru answered with a distracted, "Hn," while he unlocked the glass containers where the two demon swords lay. He withdrew Tenseiga first and felt its joyful pulse praising his blood for the rare treat of being held. He practiced twice a week with a blade, but kept his prize possessions locked away for safety. It had been thirty years since he had placed it so carefully inside the display box, but it felt like yesterday when he held it in his hand. It was a magnificent piece of weaponry. I sword with the power to give life and take it away. A sword of the gods.

With precision and grace he twirled it twice. It slashed through the air with a whoosh, before he stopped and nodded in anticipation. Yes. It would do nicely. He turned to Tetsusaiga and considered it for a moment. The last time he touched it his hand had blisters for days. Would it accept him now, after all these centuries of rejection?

"Man, tell me you aren't thinking of touching that thing? You know you can't do it," Kouga warned. It would be stupid for Sesshomaru to injure his hand right before heading into battle.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes on the sword and released a frustrated, angry breath. "Listen to me sword," he growled in a low lethal voice. "You accepted Inuyasha when he offered to protect Kagome. This Sesshomaru now asks the same. Kagome is in danger, and I _must_ protect her."

He reached down, bracing himself for the familiar, searing, burn.

And wrapped his hand around the hilt.

Sesshomaru lifted the sword and held it up in wonder. He inspected it with amazement, as it remained un-aggresive to his touch. With a thought and one pulse it transformed from the rusty antique into an extraordinary fang. The sword that could fell one hundred demons in one sweep. Or humans, as the case may be. Evil, was evil, after all.

"Damn it! I'll bet Inuyasha is rolling over in his grave right now," Kouga laughed in surprise.

Sesshomaru turned and looked at him with a gaze that teetered between sheer pleasure and deadly intent. He then set both swords to the side and turned to one wall with a large intricate screen print. He proceeded to move the print and push another, nearly impossible to see, button. A door slid open and revealed a small hidden compartment.

Sesshomaru reached in and pulled out four hand grenades, eight custom throwing stars that would explode on impact. Six regular stars and two knives. He hauled out his designer, bullet-proof, full length, black leather duster, and a black custom gun harness, which he would fill with two Claridge Hi-Tec/Goncz Semi-Automatic Pistol's and two clips of ammo. Two wrist harnesses with two extra clips of sixteen rounds was lain out next. Afterward he pulled out The Assassin, a deadly blade made for hand to hand combat, designed by him and produced by Taisho Arms. That, he slipped into a special sheath incorporated on his harness.

He then reached in and pulled out another knife that he christened The Thief, because it could steal a human's life with one deadly thrust. One Smith and Wesson military and police issue semiautomatic pistol and four magazines of .357 caliber bullets, holding fifteen rounds each. He turned and handed everything to Kouga with a glare. Only use it if you have to and do not get in my way.

Kouga's eyes were wide with disbelief. The guy kept a military arsenal in his closet! "Paranoid much?" he muttered as he took the gun from Sesshomaru and weighed it expertly in his hand.

"You never know when you may require a bit of extra firepower," Sesshomaru replied in a haughty tone, as he gathered up his swords, tossing the holster over his shoulder to join the duster and wrist harnesses, after attaching the stars and throwing knives. He carefully picked up the grenades, tucking one in each pocket, and then shut the sliding door.

They pulled out of the secret room and stepped out into Sesshomaru's huge bedroom. He tossed the jacket on the bed, before carefully laying out the rest. He then walked over to his dresser and pulled it open. He tossed out a couple pairs of black, relaxed fit fatigue pants and a black Tactical Shield Microskin Powerstretch shirt. Then he grabbed another black, mock turtleneck, that he tossed to the wolf. He took one look over the wolf's tailored clothing and said, "Take that and the pants and get dressed in the spare bedroom."

Kouga mumbled about not taking orders from a damn dog, but headed out to get dressed. Sesshomaru snatched off his ruined shirt and pants, then shrugged on the dark clothing. The fatigues fit low on his waist, contrasting starkly against his pale toned abdomen and the sculpted indenture of his hipbone. He then pulled on the shirt, which stretched across his lean sinewy muscles like a second skin.

In minutes he had laced up a pair of black combat boots. Sesshomaru wasted no time in dragging on the gun harness, before slipping on the wrist harnesses and strapping them down. With one final glance in the mirror, making sure that he had everything in order, he turned and clipped on the grenades. He reached into the bottom drawer of his dresser and slipped out a piece of silk that he fashioned into a short obi, before sliding both the Tenseiga and the Tetsusaiga into the sash. He grabbed his black leather duster and headed out of the bedroom door.

Kouga met him on the way and together they jumped off of the patio on the top story of his high-rise building. Both of the youkai landed nearly at the same moment, in a low crouch, and a slight stirring of dust at their feet.

"How are we traveling?" Kouga asked.

Sesshomaru nodded at the car. "Not that way. How fast are you these days, wolf? Can you keep up with this Sesshomaru?"

Kouga scoffed. "Puh-l-eazze. The question is, can you keep up with me, mutt?" and before he could close his mouth, he took off. He no longer had the Shikon shards in his legs, but he had always been fast. It was how he had gotten the shards to begin with.

Sesshomaru swept by him, and said, "Follow me. I have one stop to make first."

* * *

A/N: Things are coming to a culmination for our characters! Can two youkai and a handful of human's breach a highly guarded military facility? Will Kagome still be alive when Sesshomaru reaches her? All this and more in the next chapter of Madman!

Don't forget to hop over and check out my new fic, _Violation of Honor_, posted on and It's a Sess/Kag romance that begins in Sesshomaru's darkest hour. Canon. _Very_ rated NC-17. Contains Yaoi, and Non-Consensual sexual situations.

Don't forget to Review. I love to hear what you think about each addition to my stories!

Ja ne


	16. Chapter 16 Hidden Strengths

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I can only dream of having the money that Rumiko Takahashi makes off of her anime, Inuyasha. Me? I'm just a non-profit fanfiction author who adores the show and loves to write smut.

**Chapter 16 - Hidden Strengths**

A/N: I have got to mention a very perceptive reviewer, _SilverDrache_ from A Single Spark. You are one smart gal. I could hardly believe that you had already figured Kagome's dramatic moment out. Nice work! And thanks for the great review!

To all my readers: I love you guys! You are the world's best fanfiction fanatics! I've been smiling for days after reading all of your reviews. Thank you!!!

This is it... The big fight scene chapter. I'm so nervous, sitting here, getting ready to write it, and praying that I live up to the images that have been playing through my head. I'm also very excited! I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for months! Finally, the time has come. I believe that chapter 18 will be the last chapter (sniff). But, I am looking at the bright side. I will have much more time to devote to _Violation of Honor_ once this story is done!

**This Chapter is Dedicated to my on-line pal, Risa. An all around cool gal and my biggest fan. Thanks for being sweet!**

* * *

Kagome gasped, and helplessly cried out when the machine clamped down simultaneously in her temples and the back of her head. The vise-like halo sank the four little metal spikes deep. Her breath slammed out of her from the pain of it, and she snatched hard on the restraints holding her in place. Through tears of fear and frustration, Kagome blinked and opened her eyes just enough to see Juria standing across the room with a smug look of success on her deceptively pretty face. She blinked, and the whir of the machine began to gain strength. Matsuno Hotaka watched her, his image blurring between the watery pools distorting her vision. Something was pulling at her mind, sucking her coherency, and eating her life away with hungry jaws. From her ears to the tips of her toes, she felt as if her body was burning, coming apart from the inside our. The very cells, made up muscle and bone, felt as though they were exploding individually, before being vacuumed from her body through the metal posts embedded in her head. It was an inferno, burning a stormy path through her entire soul.

Hotaka secretly admitted a sense of unease, watching the lovely young miko die right before his eyes. He hated the suffering of innocents. It was the seed of his determination to rule the world. He wanted to end suffering on a global scale. For that reason, he felt just a bit uneasy taking the miko's life, but it was a necessary evil. In the grand scheme of things, her sacrifice would save millions. It was a noble death that he had given her.

That alone eased his conscience, and he refused to think on it further. It had to be done. Everything depended on The Purity Machine. All of his carefully laid plans, decades of gathering information, and risks that, if discovered by his superiors, would land him in front of a firing squad.

Failure was not an option.

As the miko's gut wrenching scream finally - thankfully - died on her lips, his attention was drawn to the special titanium-alloy glass that made up the reaction chamber of The Purity Machine. His eyes opened wide in shock as he spotted a tendril of blue glowing light snaking its way from the entry valve to pool in the bottom of the reservoir. He glanced back to the girl, and found her rigid form now slumping, but still looking at him with heavy lidded, shimmering blue eyes, that had gone blank. She was probably suffering from shock. It would make it easier on her, he decided, and turned back to watch the magical blue thread, winding slowly into a growing coil.

His scientists cheered, and exclaimed that it was officially more than any other 'donor' had produced. Their lab assistants went into a flurry of movements, checking gauges and tracking data results from the many LDC computer screens. For a moment, they each forgot about the slowly dying miko, and felt only the thrill of achievement. It was a breakthrough that would change the world.

When the miko's heart rate grew so slow that each tiny blip on the monitor seemed only to appear with phenomenal effort, Hotaka was beginning to clench his teeth with anxious anticipation. Though the glass chamber was nearly full enough to begin systematic pressurization, the girls' life force was quickly draining away. If she did not last long enough to kick start the machine, it would have all been a waste.

Kagome felt nothing now. She knew nothing. In a floating world of shadows and light she raced her brother, Souta, up the shrine steps. His childish laughter filled her ears like the music of angles. Her mother and her grandfather kissed her cheek good night, whispering their love as she weightlessly passed them by. Inuyasha was there, waving with a wop-sided grin. Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo all cheered happily. Kouga, Kaede, Rin and Jeninji, all laughed and waved from below. Rishou, blew her a kiss, and finally Eri met her with a brilliant smile. Everyone that she had ever known and loved came to her during that surreal moment in time. They went through her thoughts with such clarity that she felt she could reach out and touch them. In the end there was only Sesshomaru. He did not smile. Instead his golden eyes held sadness, and it made Kagome want to cry.

The darkness called to her. Kagome felt its comforting hands urging her to embrace warm, eternal, oblivion. It was her destiny to meld with the darkness, an undeniable pull that offered relief from lifelong struggle. A peace came over her, as she walked into the solace that was offered there, and a smile slowly spread over her face.

It was as if she were coming home.

The small blip on her heart monitor then turned into the flat line of death.

* * *

Private Itou Kenshirou was alternating his attention between the hip-hop magazine on the table in front of him, and the usual dark nothingness outside of the guard shack. As usual, there was nothing interesting about guard duty at the main gate. The guys all hated it when their shift came around, because there wasn't much to do at night except sit, and watch the empty dirt road that lead up to the base facility.

An hour ago he talked to his girlfriend, Kimiko, and then she had to go to bed, because of a big test at the university tomorrow morning. His friends were either sleeping this time of night or partying. In either case they didn't want to spend their time jawing with him on the phone. So, he was left with flipping through magazines.

Did you know that Snoop Dogg was arrested for possession of marijuana... again?

Big shock.

With a heavy sigh, he looked up from the book to check the area again. His partner out here tonight wasn't any luckier than him. They flipped a coin over who would take outside duty. Shou was the lucky bastard that won tonight.

Immediately he noticed that Shou was talking to someone and the gate was opened. He reached behind him and grabbed his gun, before hurrying out to see what was going on. When he got to the gate, he saw Shou leaned over, talking to a beautiful, but extremely pale young woman.

She was on the ground, as if she had, seconds ago, collapsed, and was just now sitting. She was looking up into Shou's face with little emotion, so he couldn't tell if she was hurt or frightened, but she was holding her hand out, as if to ask Shou's assistance. Shou held out his hand, but the girl never actually touched it, and instead, rose to her feat with little effort. When she did, Kenshirou noticed that she held a large round dinner plate in her hand.

Odd that.

Kenshirou watched the fey like woman, now standing slender and petite, and wearing a thin gauze dress of ghostly white that danced around her shapely legs in the night breeze. As if she felt his eyes, she turned to look at him, holding his gaze, while she flipped over the round object in her hands. At first glance, he was stunned to find that her eyes defined the word black. Eyes so black that they seemed to cry out for the very night to come in and fill them. It was somewhat bizarre, since they were in absolute contrast the stark white of her hair.

She looked like an angel, but her eyes held a look of menace.

When the revelation of a mirror fell on the shadowed face of Shou, Kenshirou's expression became instantly confused. Why was she carrying around a mirror? And where had she come from? They were located many kilometers from the main streets.

As he took as step forward, his attention was drawn again to Shou, who suddenly grasped his neck and chest, dropping his gun to the dirt in the process. Before Kenshiro could determine what was happening, Shou's knees hit the ground.

His eyes grew wide, when he realized that the woman was somehow doing it. The mirror in her hand was swirling with blurred images, as if they were being funneled inward in silver and black cyclone.

Kenshirou, despite four years of service to his country, panicked. Training had never prepared him for this particular scenario.

By the time he gathered his wits, Shou was falling sideways, hard to the ground. Before his partner hit, Kenshiro turned to run. He pulled up his gun to shoot, but it was too late. The mirror met his gaze and took hold of his mind, body, and soul.

Private Itou Kenshirou never even had the opportunity to scream.

Once the man's soul was trapped in her mirror, Kanna turned to look over her shoulder, then nodded to Lord Sesshomaru.

Step one was completed.

Kouga had to admit that when Sesshomaru first lead him to the front door of the nihility demon's house, he was more than creeped out, he was disappointed in the old warrior mutt. He couldn't figure out why Sesshomaru thought they would need the assistance of Naraku's spawn to get Kagome back.

When he tried to protest, Sesshomaru nearly choked him to death without a word. Fucking bastard. No wonder Inuyasha always hated him.

Now he could see the dog's point. The place where Kagome was being held was loaded with firepower. It was a veritable fortress, the likes of which he had never seen for a mere research base. The gate was also a pretty good distance from the main doors leading to Kagome. They would have to get in and search for her by scent, because if they crashed in they would risk the chance that she could be on the other side and get hurt. They had no idea where she was being held inside the building.

Sesshomaru had pointed out the wing where they had held him for a short time, but there was no guarantee that they would keep her in the same area as the youkai. They were going in blind, without anything but their senses to go on. Kouga was anxious to get Kagome out of there and to safety, but he guessed that Sesshomaru had other objectives, as well.

Like the assassination of Matsuno Hotaka.

From looking at the heavy weaponry they were facing, Kouga understood the need to get as close to that door leading inside the facility as possible before setting off the alarm. It also wouldn't hurt to take out a few of those bastard's carrying fully automatic machine guns before they swarmed the gate.

Kouga, a centuries old youkai, was nearly impossible to kill, but he made no mistake, he _could_ be killed. Besides, getting shot hurt like hell. If he was brought down, he would be useless in saving Kagome, so sending in Kanna to take out the humans at the gate made damn good sense.

The human soldiers had no idea what lay beneath Kanna's frail feminine subterfuge.

Another human male fell to his knees, as his soul was literally ripped from his body. Kouga watched, feeling a shudder of revulsion, while the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

Rishou and Detective Kobayashi moved almost soundlessly up next to him. Kouga was impressed with the two of them, as well. It was apparent that both of them had been trained in stealth maneuvers, although he suspected that Rishou's training might have been from a far more shady source than the detectives'.

They both carried weapons, and Kouga nodded behind them toward the six men working their way up by crawling on their bellies. "Who are those guys?" he harshly whispered.

Rishou threw a look over his shoulder and then turned back to him with a grin. "Some very dangerous friends of mine."

Kouga gave him a half grin. "Looks like you know a lot of dangerous people."

Rishou gave a weak chuckle. "Yeah. I wasn't always the owner of an anime store."

Their attention was immediately drawn to Kanna, as she took the souls of three more soldiers, before any of them realized that the ethereal cast of the young woman in white was only a disguise for a demoness with terrifying powers. A shot rang out, hitting the dirt close to Kanna, but she did not even flinch.

"That's our queue!" Kouga shouted. The men around him crouched down low, as they stormed the gate amidst popping rounds of gunfire. Sesshomaru, however, took to the air, and landed lightly in front of Kanna, protecting her from the soldiers in front of her. She then turned, putting her slender back against Sesshomaru, while she once more raised her mirror and took the souls of the soldiers advancing from the rear.

In one synchronized move, Sesshomaru drew the Tenseiga in his right hand, and Tetsusaiga in his left. He narrowed his eyes on the two soldiers approaching from his right, then cut through the air. The Meidou Zangetsuha ripped open a nearly perfect circle to the netherworld, sucking the men in, while they screamed in fear and pain.

Without missing a beat, he raised the Tetsusaiga, and the fang transformed, ready to do his bidding. His lip curled in devious satisfaction, before he raised his arm, invoking the Wind Scar, then unleashing its fury.

"Wind Scar!" His voice was deep, like the smooth rumbling of a volcano before eruption. It was a shout of unbridled vengeance. A declaration of complete confidence in victory. The land shook. Earth and rock blasted from the ground, as the Wind Scar devastated everything and everyone in its path.

The human's around them cried out in fear of the powerful weapon. Some dropped their guns and ran, while others redoubled their efforts. A missile launcher sent a deadly shell straight toward Sesshomaru and Kanna, but Sesshomaru was too fast for the speeding projectile, swiftly grabbing Kanna around her narrow waist, and leaping to safety.

Kouga leapt, dodging first one shell, then another. He rolled head over heals and came up in a crouch just behind a concrete barrier near the helicopter pad. He pulled out the grenade Sesshomaru entrusted him with, and pulled the pin. He tossed it into the chopper and leapt a safe distance away, while unloading nearly an entire clip of bullets from the semi-automatic weapon in his hand.

One soldier cried out and fell back from a bullet wound to the chest, just as the inevitable explosion shook the ground. The weapons and fuel cells on the helicopter fired immediately after the grenade went off. Pieces of the helicopter flew everywhere. Huge chunks of mangled steel amongst burning debris raced through the air in a deadly rain of flaming projectiles.

Kouga ducked just in time to avoid getting hit upside the head with an unidentifiable piece of the mutilated machinery. Two soldiers went down in the unexpected explosion from the searing heat of flames, and Kouga grimaced when a piece of the flying blade cut through another, slicing his body completely in two. _That was gross._

The alarms were blasting and chaos was everywhere. Kouga grinned. His adrenaline was pumping and his heart pounding in his chest. "I've missed this shit," he mumbled, before he darted out from the safety of cover to push just a little closer to the metal door.

Rishou and Naoaki, made their way through the battlefield, ducking bullets and flying debris. When the sword in Sesshomaru's hand released a wave of crashing power, they had been momentarily stunned at the magnitude of destruction, but quickly gathered themselves, and continued forward. Following behind them, were six of Rishou's most trusted friends, fanned out and cleaning up after the demons, by taking out any remaining soldiers posing a threat

* * *

The darkness seemed to caress Kagome's soul with warmth and acceptance, comforting her, urging her to stay in its arms forever, until a pink light suddenly flared, powerful and bright. It pierced the soothing darkness with a blinding intensity that drove away peaceful concession, and instead, seared her very soul with... hope.

Hotaka had witnessed the last breath leave the soft lips of the miko, even as they began to turn a clinical blue. Everyone watched The Purity Machine, waiting, hoping, that her power would have been enough. When a spark ignited the pulsing burr of the machine, cheers went up all around. He released a long, deep, breath that he was unaware, until that moment, he'd been holding.

It worked. The Purity Machine was booting up.

Juria stepped up beside him, with a pleased look on her face. He was stricken in that moment to kiss her lush full lips, but he refused to give in to the impulse in the presence of his men. She smiled, flashing her perfectly aligned, pearly white teeth, making her dark eyes sparkle. Her pride was open for him to see, as was her respect, and desire.

"Congratulations, sir," Juria affably bid.

Hotaka nodded with a wink. "I couldn't have done it without you." He then looked up and held his arms out to all present. With a broad smile he exclaimed, "All of you! This could not have been possible without all of your efforts! Your hard work and dedication to our cause will take us into the next generation of world rulership! One that offers equality and hope for all!"

"Hail Hotaka!"

"Oh shut up!" Kagome complained as she opened her eyes. The shock from the people standing around her made her laugh. The power of the Shikon raced through her veins, giving her strength and renewing her life. It was then that Kagome knew the truth. Five hundred years in the past, the Shikon merged with her body, and until that moment, she thought that it rested in her side, just as it had before her first trip through the Bone Eater's Well.

She was wrong.

The Shikon was not only a part of her, it had melded and become one with every single cell in her body. She could feel the magic jewel giving her life, renewing her stolen purity and restoring her strength. But it didn't stop there. It flooded her with power. Nearly overwhelming her with its strength. It was as if a floodgate had been opened.

She understood, then, why Naraku would dedicate his life to acquiring the Jewel of Four Souls. The feeling of invincibility was amazing, but Kagome knew it for what it was. It was a force that could be used for good, or for evil. A deadly lure of power.

A force that had chosen her to protect it.

A force that would never let her die.

Kagome looked around her, smiling.

Matsuno Hotaka grasped a table nearby, when he saw the miko had recovered from death. The utter silence in the room was only interrupted by the blips and beeps and purring of machinery. Each and every one of the witnesses subject to the miracle had their shocked eyes trained on the now, fully conscious miko.

Kagome captured Matsuno's eyes and held them. He took a step back, reaching for his gun, but unsure whether to pull it

It was all becoming clear to her now. She knew what she had to do.

"You want my power?" She asked, with a voice that seemed to echo, as if she were not alone in her body. Her smile grew wider, and her fingers spread wide. "Then have it!," she shouted. "Have it all!"

A blinding pink light surrounded her, then spread from the spikes in her head, upward, through the wiring and piping overhead, and then into The Purity Machine. The whirring of the motor increased to dangerously excessive levels and the red warning light began to flash furiously. When it exploded, they ducked, trying to avoid the flying pieces of titanium glass. Kagome was strapped down, unable to dodge the shrapnel, but did not flinch as her body was pelted with several cutting shards.

The explosion of the machine was merely the beginning. The power continued to flow, winding along the wiring in a show of pink lightning, snapping and sizzling as it spread. It raced through the halls and corridors, burning a path of purity along the way. In the rear of the facility, where the growing pods of youkai clone's pulsed with life, the purifying energy gathered, before striking. One by one, each pulsing pod exploded with purifying light, before being completely incinerated by the miko's power.

When the last one was gone, the power began to recede, flowing back to its source. Kagome sucked in a hard, pain-filled breath, as the Shikon's power came back home. Her body tensed and she cried out as it flooded her body before settling once more. Weakly, she looked up, finding her enemies looking around in confusion.

Kagome quirked a small grin and whispered, "You messed with the wrong miko this time."

Juria wiped a piece of glass from her hair and stood up. Chaos was everywhere. It seemed like every piece of equipment was smoking and every alarm in the place was blaring. When her radio went off she snatched it from her belt. "Go ahead!" she shouted into the receiver.

"We are under attack! I repeat... we are under attack! There are... things... attacking us with weapons that we can't defend against!"

The voice in the radio sounded full of panic, and Juria knew that she couldn't waste any more time here in the lab. She had to get out there and help her men. "Hold your position! I'm on my way!" She jumped up, only sparing a glance at Hotaka, before running out to meet their attackers.

She had a pretty damned good idea who it was attacking them.

She cursed her misfortune. She had hoped that she killed the bastard, if not from the bullet wound, then with the fall. Unfortunately, it looked like he was still alive and well. By the time she made it to the front lawns - passing running soldiers and dodging pieces of plaster that had come loose from the rocking explosions coming from outside - the place looked worse than any war zone she had ever seen. There were dead soldiers lying everywhere. Her chopper was wasted, and half of the east wing was on fire. The neatly manicured lawn was a thing of the past. In its place was a deep ravine of scorched, upturned earth.

Sesshomaru saw her as soon as she stepped outside. He sheathed Tenseiga, before flicking his wrist and slicing another foolish mortal in two with his whip. Numerous places on his body ached from the impact of bullets hitting the bulletproof material of his duster, but he put the rib-bruising injuries out of his mind, and prepared to face off against the bitch.

With a dangerous calm, Sesshomaru informed Juria of his intent. "I am here for the miko."

Juria smirked, and just for the hell of it, she said, "She died about fifteen minutes ago. You're too late youkai." She hadn't lied. The bitch had died. She just wouldn't mention seeing her come back to life.

He could sense the truth in her words. Sesshomaru's eyes flashed red. He felt like someone had just punched him, hard, in the gut. Kagome was dead? "No," he hissed. His hand automatically moved to Tenseiga's pulsing hilt. He rushed forward - all thoughts focused on getting to Kagome as quickly as possible. There was still time to bring her back with his sword if the harbingers of the netherworld had not taken her soul yet.

Juria drew her weapon, aimed it, and fired. The paralyzing bullet hit the youkai in the upper right quadrant of his chest, knocking his shoulder back, but not stopping him. He merely smiled, moving with otherworldly speed, as he raced straight toward her. She fired off a second shot, but the specially formulated bullet whizzed right by him. A miss!

He made no move to slow and Juria had no choice except to throw herself away, but she couldn't hope to move fast enough to completely escape him. His claw swept out, slashing through her arm. She barely felt the pain, because of the rush of adrenaline. She hit the ground hard, pulling her gun up to shot him again, but to her horror, she realized that her gun lay several feet away, still attached to her hand, which was still attached to her arm.

Her eyes went wide in shock. Her arm was twitching on the ground, and the stub left behind was pulsing streams of precious blood out of her body with every beat of her heart. She quickly snatched off her belt, preparing to stamp the flow of blood with a makeshift tourniquet, but before she could get it secured, a ghostly white figure moved to stand closely in front of her.

Through tears and blood, Juria looked up and met the black eyes of a beautiful young woman holding a mirror in her hands. Her voice was soft, and emotionless as she said, "The miko will live on, but you will not."

Juria screamed as every cell in her body began to burn. It felt as if she was being wrenched in two from the inside out. It was unimaginable, but her very soul was being torn from her body, and pulled into the swirling abyss in the demonolatry mirror.

Juria's body fell limply to the blood-soaked ground.

Kanna flipped her mirror over and stared down into the swirling, mystical reflection, mesmerized for a moment, by the beauty of it. She could hear the woman's soul screaming from within. It gave her a fleeting sense of fulfillment, but just as quickly, it was gone. With a loving hand, she traced a finger over the cool, smooth, glass, then turned and walked away.

Without pause, Sesshomaru held up his right hand and released a spray of his Dakkasou. The acidic poison had eaten straight through the thick metal door by the time he reached it, leaving a sweet smell in his wake. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the potent scent.

It was the scent of death to his enemies.

Kouga swept past Kanna on his way to the door that Sesshomaru had just melted into a pile of green, bubbling, sludge. Naoaki, Rishou, and his friends, had the soldiers outside under control. There was no more bombing and the sounds of gunfire had ceased, but the acrid smell of spent shells lingered thickly in the air. That, combined with the overwhelming scent of blood and the sweet wisteria stink of Sesshomaru's poison flower claw, made him want to hurl.

Swallowing down his lunch, and that beer he grabbed out of Rishou's bullet hole ridden refrigerator earlier, Kouga followed the scent of Sesshomaru, which was following the scent of Kagome. They rounded several corners, racing down whitewashed hallways with harsh iridescent lights overhead. Their boot-clad feet beat down against the polished vinyl hallway, moving too fast to make a sound.

Kouga hit his shoulder, and winced, as he took another sharp turn. Sesshomaru was moving nearly too fast to keep up with, and something told him that he still had some to spare. Of course, he would never admit it. The bastards' ego was already big enough.

As they leapt down a flight of steps, Kouga began to wonder what was going on between Sesshomaru and Kagome. In the last five hundred years that he had known him, the daiyoukai never went out of his way for anyone. He only protected those sworn to him or those he held a personal affection for.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed to cold blue slits. Could it be?

Kouga shook his head. No. Sesshomaru had merely pledged protection to Kagome and honor bound him to see her safe. He would never get the hot's for a human female. Nah. That stubborn prick would go celibate if there were no females to bed other than mortals.

Kouga turned up his nose when they came to a dimly lit corridor with low hanging pipes and sizzling, melting, wires overhead. Sesshomaru had slowed, and so he followed suit. The smell of Kagome was strong here.

Sesshomaru growled low. He could smell not only Kagome's light, unique scent, but he could also smell her blood. It enraged his instincts, and he had to fight to keep his beast in control. He needed to keep a clear head in order to use Tenseiga to revive her.

When he opened his hand, melting the doors that kept him from Kagome, he wasted no time in stepping through. It was a brightly lit central chamber. Behind closed doors, there several humans crouching in rooms hidden from his view, but not his nose. In front of him there was a thick metal door standing open and blasting an ear shattering alarm. He walked through first, with Kouga close behind. They spotted Kagome immediately, and just as quickly they were both enraged.

As well as relieved.

She was obviously alive, and struggling against the males' hand that held her hair wrapped around it. Sesshomaru met her eyes and saw her sweet lips breathe his name.

"Sesshomaru..."

Kouga suddenly moved behind him, and Sesshomaru turned his head in time to see the wolf grab a human - that was stupidly attempting to slit his throat - and slam him down so hard onto the quarry floor that it busted a hole of concrete out from beneath him. Blood pooled out of the mortal's mouth, ears, nose and eyes, his bones and organs crushed from the force. Kouga released the dead man, and turned his attention back to Kagome and the man holding a gun to her head.

She was kneeling on the floor, with Hotaka standing just behind her, pulling her hair tight with one hand and threatening to shoot her with the other. There were a few places over her torn white shirt that bled dark red stains. Her beautiful legs were lacerated and embedded with pieces of glass. She looked drowsy, as if she had just come awake.

And behind thick, dark, lashes he found the strangest thing.

Kagome's blue eyes, always as blue as velvet night, were no longer blue. They were nearly glowing with a pink radiance that was literally spellbinding. Only when she blinked those heavy lids, laden with thick black lashes, was he able to look away and meet Matsuno's insanity filled eyes. The madness was there, shining now for all to see. A once great man, fallen to his own deluded plans of grandeur.

"Release her, Matsuno, and I will grant you a swift death."

Sesshomaru's growling demand shook Kagome toward full wakefulness. She reached up and clawed her fingernails into Hotaka's strong hand, but he still wouldn't release her. She went still when he tapped her head roughly with the barrel of his gun. In the lab she died, only to discover that the Shikon had joined with her and made her immortal, but she didn't want to push her luck. A bullet in the head could be the one thing that would revoke the immortality clause.

Besides, even if she lived, that would really hurt.

Sesshomaru looked ready to filet Hotaka with his bare claws, and the guy behind him... _wait a minute... Kouga?_ Kagome's eyes grew wide when she realized that the wolf prince was alive and with Sesshomaru. She would have cheered, if she hadn't been in the process of having her life threatened... again.

Hotaka stood tall and proud as he faced the demon and his accomplice. He had no illusions of escaping with his life. The youkai was well armed, not only with guns and knives, but with mystical demon swords, as well. With his speed, and acid like poison, the odds of escape were nearly non-existent. Since his own personal assassin failed to remove the threat of the second male youkai, leaving him alone to face them both, Hotaka was forced to accept his defeat. He held up his head and nodded at the devastation around him.

"The miko has destroyed them all," Hotaka said. "All of them. One thousand of the worlds most deadly living weapons, all purified into ashes." He snatched Kagome's hair, anger flaring to such a point that he ignored the growls of warning from the youkai males. He leaned down, staring into her eyes. "Why? Why would you destroy the hope of the world?"

"Release her at once!" Sesshomaru barked with growing fury. Something in his gut was clenched so tight with worry that it was making it hard to breathe. It was not a feeling that he was accustomed to, and one he wished not to ever feel again.

From behind him Kouga threatened Hotaka, "I'll rip out your liver while you're still alive, you crazy bastard! Let my woman go, now!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. Even now, after five hundred years and saving the world from a madman, Kouga's delusions of a relationship between them couldn't be shaken. On the bright side, Sesshomaru's reaction was comical.

With one, hard, swift movement, Sesshomaru's fist came up, slamming into the wolf's face that was right behind his left arm. Kouga's body flew back and he hit the floor... unconscious.

Sesshomaru never once took his eyes from Kagome, as he removed the annoyance that was Kouga. Once the wolf was down, the daiyoukai added, "Kagome is not your woman, fool." A warmth then flooded his golden eyes. Warmth he offered to no one save her. "She is mine."

Kagome's heart did a summersault in her chest. Sesshomaru was claiming her? The knowledge made her lip twitch with a smile. She wanted to kiss him, but first she had to get away from 'psycho boy' holding her hair.

"Oh, how quaint," Hotaka laughed. Even to his own ears it was brimming with hysteria. "The miko and the youkai. The ultimate 'odd couple'." He then shook his head. "Damn, who would have guessed? Unfortunately, it was something that I never calculated into my plans."

Hotaka drew in a deep breath and prepared to end it all. He would not grovel. His dream was dead. There was only one reason left to continue on. "Did you... , his voice cracked, ...Juria?"

Sesshomaru smirked, "Is no more." He could see the will to live, leave the mortal's eyes. Hearing that his lover was dead ended the man's resistance. He released Kagome's hair, and she scrambled away, before jumping to her feet, not stopping until she was behind him.

Once she was clear, Sesshomaru pulled the Tetsusaiga, walked forward with calm assurance, and swung. Kagome released an 'Eek', from behind him, just as Hotaka's head separated from his body and fell with a thud to the ground.

Sesshomaru turned and immediately went to her, pulling her into his arms. "Kagome," he whispered against her hair, as he inhaled her scent in a deep soothing breath.

She pulled back and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You came for me."

"I will always come for you, Kagome," Sesshomaru promised.

And she had no doubt that he would.

"Oh Sesshomaru!" she cried, and threw herself into his arms. He was so relieved to have her back in his embrace that he did not even bother to correct her for neglecting to call him Shuusaka. Finally her sobs grew quiet and she turned on him with a brilliant smile. Her cheeks and nose were rosy, and her lashes drenched from tears, but that smile was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.

Besides her eyes.

Those magnificent pools of sparkling magenta held a warmth and acceptance that he never wanted to be without again.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked curiously.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

_So she is unaware of the change?_ He decided not to say anything further. She had been through enough already, and there was a chance that they would return to their former bright blue. "Nothing," Shuusaka replied. He left the puzzle of her eyes and traced a path over her smooth cheeks to her full pink lips. By the Gods he wanted to touch them against his own. He wanted to press against them, and feel their softness opening to him.

Kagome gasped when Sesshomaru swept her up against him and captured her lips in a kiss that curled her toes. His lips, though masculine and stern, softened just for her, and moved over her with passionate need. She slipped her fingers into his soft opalescent hair, and moaned as she opened up to his seeking tongue. It sent a thrill through her when he touched it against her own, sliding them together in a breathless dance.

Kouga blinked, and pushed away the heavy fog that had settled in his brain. His nose hurt like hell, and he reached up to touch it with a wince, pulling his fingers back to find blood there. Then he remembered. "You dirty back stabbing...!" His tirade against Sesshomaru died in his throat when he spotted Kagome responding with such fervor to the kisses of that damned mutt. His first reaction was to growl, low and dangerously, but Sesshomaru released his own warning rumble, telling the wolf in no uncertain terms, that the woman belonged to him.

Kouga jumped to his feet, ready to do battle for Kagome's heart, but when she sighed so sweetly, so softly, and then looked up into Sesshomaru's eyes with so much shimmering emotion, Kouga paused.

What was that?

He had never seen Kagome look at him like that.

Hell, she hadn't even looked at Inuyasha like _that_.

"I love you, Sesshomaru," Kagome whispered. The words came out before she had time to reconsider the risk to her heart. The strange thing about it was that it felt right. She was laying her feelings open for him to do with as he would, and it was pretty scary, but it was the right thing to do. It was the truth, and she wanted no secrets between them. She loved him. He had come to mean so much to her during their ordeal. She saw a side of him that she never knew existed. A Sesshomaru that would risk everything to come to her rescue. A hero.

Her hero.

With a totally hot bod.

His eyes softened even more at her declaration, and she was gifted with the most magnificent smile that she had ever seen on a male face. His eyes lit up, a shining gold, and she could see all of his fangs clearly. He pulled her into another mind-boggling embrace, kissing her lips with barely leashed passion, nearly bruising them with his lusty intent. Gradually, he eased the pressure, softening the kiss into something tender and sweet, gently nipping at the corner of her mouth before playfully nibbling at her bottom lip. Kagome melted into him and he held her there, closely, enjoying how perfectly her soft womanly form pressed so warmly against his own hard planes.

Kouga's eyes narrowed and his brow sunk low, before he turned away. He could kick Sesshomaru's ass to win Kagome, but if she didn't want to be won, there was nothing left for him to do but move on. He wasn't used to giving up. It hurt, and made him want to smash things, but surprisingly it was more pride than anything else. He hated to lose her to that stuck-up mutt, but better him than some other loser.

At least with Sesshomaru, he could trust that she would be protected.

Fuck. He had the worst luck with women.

His feet moved to storm from the room, but Kagome's soft voice calling his name stopped him. He turned to find her standing beside of Sesshomaru and smiling at him with warmth in her mystical eyes. They glittered with a soft magenta light that resembled the purified glow of the Shikon no Tama. They were beautiful, just like the rest of her.

"Kouga. Thank you for coming to save me."

"Feh. Didn't have anything better to do," he replied in an embarrassed tone.

Kagome began to walk toward him, slowly, gauging his reaction. The smile never left her face, and if anything, it only grew wider. When she stood right before him, looking up at him, he inhaled deeply. She smelled so damn good. Just like he remembered.

"I missed you so much," Kagome said happily.

Kouga couldn't help but to smile. "I missed you too, Kagome." His eyes opened wide with surprise when she flung her arms around him. He looked at Sesshomaru when the mutt growled his displeasure, and Kouga enjoyed the moment by hugging her back. She felt good against him, but there was none of the passion that she displayed for Sesshomaru. Nope, this was the hug of a friend, not a lover.

When she pulled away from their embrace, she again went to Sesshomaru's side, and Kouga hated the empty thump inside of his chest when he looked at them. He had hoped...

"Take care of her mutt, or you'll be answering to me," Kouga growled, before stalking out the doors and never looking back.

Kagome felt terrible for Kouga, but she couldn't let him go on believing that they had a chance. They never had. He was just too stubborn to see it, and she was too softhearted to hurt his feelings. She was surprised that he took it so well. In the past he would have fought Inuyasha to the death. It seemed that they had both done a lot of growing up since they saw each other last.

Kagome looked up to find Sesshomaru watching her with a warm intensity that caused her blood to heat. Then he said, "I do not like when you touch other males."

Kagome rolled her eyes and flapped one arm wildly in exasperation, before stomping out through the metal door. "I swear! The testosterone levels around here could suffocate a girl."

Sesshomaru followed behind his miko with a mischievous curve to his lip. He listened to her ranting outburst all the way down the corridor and up the stairwell. She had a hot temper, his miko. One that he would enjoy soothing for hours on end.

The upper levels were beginning to fill with smoke. Kagome had to stop her nervous fussing in order to cover her mouth with a handkerchief that Sesshomaru pulled from his leather coat. A coat that looked really, really good on him.

The closer to the front of the building they got, they could hear the frantic cries of the demons locked up in the lab somewhere. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and pleaded for their lives. "We have to help them! Please?"

He almost ignored her plea, wishing only to be rid of this place and back at his flat, but the sorrowful noises coming from the trapped youkai made him agree with Kagome. He easily scooped her up into his arms, smiling down at her when she squeaked like a mouse. In seconds he had maneuvered the many hallways using his youkai speed, and when he stopped in the holding corridor for the youkai, he gently lowered Kagome to her feet.

The doors here were powered with a mystical barrier, and he couldn't break through without Kagome's help. She walked along, stopping in front of each individual door, touching it with the open palm of her hands, and then whispering an incantation. The spell flickered, and Sesshomaru then promptly went to work ripping doors from their frames. The disoriented youkai moved to run for escape, but as soon as they spotted the miko and daiyoukai they stopped to cower back, afraid of their strength and power. He nodded, giving silent approval for them to dart quickly by him.

The last cell was finally wrenched open and Kagome spotted a rather round furry youkai curled in the corner shivering with fear. He wouldn't even look up, so she called to him. "It's okay, now. You can go free." When he finally peeked out from beneath his arm, recognition was in his eyes. He threw his hand back and cried out, "Kagome-sama!"

"Hachi!" Kagome squealed before rushing forward and hugging her shivering old friend. Another possessive growl of displeasure from Sesshomaru had Hachi curling into a ball and pleading for his life. Kagome playfully chastised Sesshomaru and coaxed Hachi out again. "Come on, Hachi-san, we have to get out of here. The building is on fire."

That got Hachi up and moving. Sesshomaru scooped up Kagome, not bothering to check if the sniveling raccoon-dog followed, and raced for the fresh air outside of the laboratory.

They burst through the ruined door and into the night air still riddled with the smells of death and dying. In the distance Sesshomaru heard the call of approaching sirens. They did not have much time to evacuate.

Rishou and four others burst through the door that they just came from, running like the devil was on their heels. Naoaki came after, holding his right shoulder, but making damn good time. Rishou spotted them and shouted, "Get clear! The whole place is set to go in less than three minutes!"

Sesshomaru pulled Kagome closer, and took to the air.

It was time to go home.

* * *

A/N: Whew! That was intense! I hope that you all enjoyed it, and didn't have heart failure or anything. LOL! Did I surprise you? Were you expecting Juria to end up in Kanna's mirror? Muahahaha! I felt it was a fitting end for her, but does anyone, even Juria, deserve to have her soul trapped in a mirror forever? How did you like the way Juria's arm was cut off by Sesshomaru, just like Takemaru's was taken by the Inu no Taisho? Let me know what you thought of the big battle scene. I love to hear from ya'll!

Well, the time has come for... THE LEMON! Which will be in the next chapter. YAY!

And guess what? My brand new nephew, Lucas Smith, was born just two hours ago. He weighed 8lbs 8oz. And has a shock of black hair on his little head. Congratulations to my brother and his sweet wife! I finally have a nephew!


	17. Chapter 17 Kagome's Gift Part 1

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction.

**Chapter 17 - Kagome's Gift Part 1**

A/N: Hey everybody! Happy New Year to ALL! Thanks for all of your congratulations on my cutie-pie little nephew, as well as the awesome reviews! You guys are the best!

I got this review from my friend Kat, and I just had to share it with you.: Kat's review of chapter 16... _'Lemon is next hmmmmm will he pick the glass out of her and kiss all the boo-boo's, or will the Jewel just expel them for her? Decisions. Decisions. I know which way I'd vote, if it were me. Let's hear it for dog spit!!'_

Dear Kat,

Ya gotta love the slobber.

* * *

After the horrible battle, they landed on the penthouse patio as lightly as a feather. Kagome peeked around at the lush foliage that made up Sesshomaru's private garden. It was lovely, but she was enjoying the warm heat of his hard chest against her cheek so much that she made little effort to really get a good look. There would be time for that later. 

She was nervous. She knew why he brought her here. And she wanted it too. She wanted him like she had never wanted anything in her life. She looked up, and he was watching her with those dazzling golden eyes. Eyes that seemed to envelope her in a lush heat. There was hunger in his eyes, and knowing him as she did, it was a little unnerving to experience the raw intensity of his wanting.

He shifted her, and without missing a beat, keyed in the code that opened the door to his lavish apartment. Kagome barely saw anything of the decor, though she did think that it was a bit cold and needed a woman's touch. Her focus was on his eyes. And lips. They were parted just slightly. Masculine, firm, but oh so soft when caressed against her own. Thoughts of the kiss they previously shared sent heat shooting through her body, tugging fervently at her core.

He took her straight to the master bathroom, where he carefully placed her on the gray marble counter top. Kagome flinched from the cold surface suddenly replacing the warmth of his arms, and Sesshomaru smirked playfully at her obvious discomfort. "Cold Kagome?" he asked, as if he was oblivious to the reasoning behind her squirming displeasure. She retorted with a 'humph', before settling down.

His teasing only lasted briefly, and then he was back to business. "The glass is still embedded in your skin, Kagome. First I will remove it, and then you may shower and cleanse the wounds." He spoke rather distractedly, as he looked at the small cut on her neck, carefully touching the unblemished skin near it with warm, sure fingers. Kagome found that his touch was effecting her in a most delicious way, because she could hardly think of the stinging pain of her wounds due to the burning heat left in the wake of his gentle inspection.

He was so strong. So powerful and formidable. An ancient demon from her past. Yet here he stood, so domesticated. It was such an unbelievable contrast to what she had always believed of him.

How had she ever assumed him to be a heartless, emotionless, monster?

Their trials over the past days had opened her eyes to the truth behind the facade. Here, she was given a cherished glimpse of the Sesshomaru that young Rin had loved. This was the man behind the beast. One who found something, or rather someone that he actually cared for. It was nearly mind boggling to accept that it was she.

Sesshomaru cared for her.

At Hotaka's compound, when he came for her - and she never once doubted that he would - Kagome had nearly staggered beneath the menace rolling off of him in massive waves. She felt his anger, his thirst for vengeance, and his unbridled relief at finding her whole and alive.

It had reminded her so much of Inuyasha.

Yet this was not Inuyasha. This wasn't the young half-demon that had once carried her on his back through the Feudal Era. No. Inuyasha had been just a boy compared to the mature youkai kneeling before her now. Inuyasha had cared for her with the brash enthusiasm of a devoted puppy, but never had he looked at her like this.

Sesshomaru met her eyes, and he held nothing back. He let all of the desire and possessiveness that he felt for her blaze to life in that one steamy look. She was his. He knew that he was lost, and for once in his long, long, life, he did not wish to fight against it. He did not want to deny his feelings for her. He wanted her, as a lover - as a friend. He would protect her and keep her safe. Nothing would ever again threaten her existence.

He would take her as his mate.

Thoughts of his father briefly tickled his memory, and for once, Sesshomaru allowed the humor of the situation to fill him. He had denied every single youkai female whom had ever sought his mark. He turned away scores of luscious, powerful, demon females for reasons that he could hardly even remember, but he would not turn away Kagome. A human woman. Indeed, his father would have been proud.

No. In truth, his father would simply have empathized, for the old dog had never really meant to fall in love with a mortal. It had been by mere chance that Izayoi had found his father wounded and recovering from battle in her family's vast orchard. And it had been Fate who entwined the dog demon general and human hime in a saga of love and loss. His father never had a chance to walk away. He had been willingly trapped in the arms of his human lover as easily as Kagome had confiscated Sesshomaru's own heart.

His heart?

Hai. It was true. His heart was alive and it beat only for her.

Kagome observed him watching her, as his large, strong, hands moved slowly over her ankle, up her slender calf and softly behind her slightly bent knee. She could have exploded with the heat of his glance, but his touch was burning her alive. He had saved her. Not only from a Madman, but also from herself. She had been so lost these past years. So alone. No one understood her, because no one had been there, in the past, facing terrifying enemies with swords and arrows. No one here in this time, could ever truly accept all of her, because there would always be a part hidden. A huge part that would forever be secreted away like a dirty thought.

But not with him.

Sesshomaru, Shuusaka, the demon lord turned business tycoon, had also been there. He had lived the past with her. He had fought with sword and jaki to protect vast lands that once were covered in lush meadows and thick forests. He knew that youkai were real. He was one.

The thought of sharing a life with someone who knew it all was heart warming and exciting. To lay in bed at night and talk about the old times, to speak of the Shikon not as a silly trinket of fairytales, but as a real object of power, was nearly enough to push her to love.

But it wasn't enough.

Kagome could never love someone just for that.

She would need loyalty in an honorable man. She would need excitement, and peace. She would need a heat that stirred her body to sinful heights. She would need to know that he cared for her above all others.

All of those things she had in front of her. All of those things that she longed for in a lover, a partner, a husband, were all packaged in one beautifully dangerous daiyoukai.

Inuyasha's brother.

But he was more. He was Sesshomaru. He wanted her. He protected her, and she trusted him like she trusted no other since the day she left the Feudal Era for good. Inuyasha had absolutely nothing to do with her feelings for Sesshomaru. She was sure of it now, where she had been skeptical before. She wanted him for who he was, not who his brother had been.

Could she love him?

Maybe the question was really _'do I already love him'_?

Kagome smiled warmly, and the love that she knew was there shone brightly in her eyes. Yes. She did love him. Somehow, someway, through running, and fighting, and saving the world, Kagome had fallen in love with Sesshomaru. A deadly demon lord from an age long past. Her heart couldn't be denied, and it was beating at the moment for one being and one being only.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome spoke his name softly.

At the sound of her whispered summons, he looked up from his kneeling position on the black marble floor. She was so lovely. Her mass of wavy black hair was tousled and sprinkled with bits of white plaster. There was a large black smudge covering her right cheek and just a bit of her tiny nose. Several dots of dark, dried blood stained her left cheek and the side of her slender neck, and she was still charged with tingling miko energy, as her body tried to heal its wounds and wind down after such a powerful overload.

She had been through more in her short lifetime than most humans ever experienced, yet it only added to her strengths. Her eyes spoke of innocence and wisdom. Together it made for an alluring temptation to the daiyoukai.

She was a strong miko. Her power was beyond compare in the mortal realm, and enough to strike fear in most all who dwell within the immortal realm. He was quiet aware of what caused the destruction of the abominations created by Hotaka. The pods had been decimated with purification power. He could smell her strength all through the air. It had surprised him briefly, to find that the miko had already wreaked havoc on Hotaka's plans, but only briefly. She always did have a way of surprising him.

It was impressive. It must have taken an enormous charge of purity to abolish so many youkai pods at once. It was a moment of pride for him, as it only served to prove her worth as his mate. She may not be youkai, but his little miko could wipe the floor with most anyone - except himself, of course.

She was smiling at him, and even through the layer of dirt and grime left from battle, he still found her to be a most beautiful female he remembered having ever seen.

And her skin was so... soft.

He held her gaze. Her full, pink lips still shaped into a small mew, as the last syllable of his name lingered. With near worshipful care his thumbs caressed her fragile ankle, and silently he marveled at how delicate his miko was. Such a small frame for such immense strength; strength of character, strength of spirit, and strength of power. He had been a fool to once think her a mere weak mortal. She was so much more.

His beast rumbled with contentment. His baser self was more than satisfied with their choice of mate. It grew anxious to meld with her; ready to stake its claim. They were one in their desires, and Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to tangle his limbs with hers until she lay breathless and exhausted from their joining.

He shifted, growing uncomfortable with his rising ardor. Even through the offensive odors of battle lingering on them both, he could smell her growing desire. It was heady to his senses, like a drug that beckoned him to lose himself forever in her soft heat.

Careful of his claws, he traced her leg, gently caressing the smooth flesh of her calf before lightly tracing the underside of her knee. He watched her face closely, tuned completely to the sounds of her breath becoming shorter and more erratic. When his hand touched her bare thigh her eyes darkened to the color of deepest midnight, and her scent spiked, flooding his senses with her arousal.

She flinched when he accidentally brushed a jagged piece of glass, still horribly embedded in her lovely flesh. Sesshomaru immediately looked away from her eyes to focus on the offensive shard. He searched then, for more of the same, and found numerous points of injury from the same such glass. His eyes narrowed at the sight of such abuse to his chosen mate's tender flesh, and a surge of feelings like he'd never experienced before spilled through him. He never, ever, wanted to see her hurt again.

Kagome bit her lip when Sesshomaru plucked the first piece of glass from her thigh. It hurt much worse coming out than it had going in. She supposed that was due to the adrenaline rush at the time. A rush that was long gone now. She felt the sting of his razor sharp claws, as he carefully extracted yet another piece. After the sixth chunk of pink glass, Kagome was beginning to wonder if Sesshomaru could knock her out so that she didn't have to feel anymore. Ouch. But then he stood up, and moved so very close. He easily slipped between her knees to get a better angle in order to remove the tiny piece of glass still embedded in her neck.

His hips rubbed against her bare thighs, and it made her womanly center achy. She shifted, but the movement only caused her to brush against the hardness of his arousal. She gasped. Obviously he was as affected by their close proximity as she was. The ache became a deep throbbing that left her feeling wet and needy. She needed him to touch her there. She was sure that it would ease her distress.

What would it feel like for him to touch her petals?

What would his fingers feel like slipping through her wetness?

What would he look like as he took her?

Kagome was surprised at her wanton train of thought. There was nothing pure in her mind concerning Sesshomaru at the moment. All images consisted of panting, sweating and tasting. She had only been with one man, and that was a sad, desperate attempt to ground herself at a time when she thought that she was going insane. She did not regret it though, because she cared deeply for Rishou, and she always would. He just was not the one that she was meant for.

Just as Inuyasha had not been.

It was strange, how Fate brought her to Sesshomaru. A former human hating demon, and a mortal girl born to house the Shikon no Tama and destined to protect mankind. Had they not lived through the trials they had, both in the past and with General Hotaka, neither would have found the other in the end.

She winced when he plucked the final piece from her neck, but then sighed when he leaned down to sooth the pain with his mouth. Languorously he lapped at the small abrasion, sending chill-bumps over Kagome's flesh. He smelled delicious, and already the stinging pain from the cut in her neck was easing. Definitely an added bonus. His heat was mingling with her own, and his hard body pressed closer. Propriety took a back seat, and Kagome slipped her arms around his neck then tightened her thighs around his hips. She smiled when he rumbled his approval.

She wasn't too experienced when it came to sex, but Kagome prided herself as a quick study. And one good thing about having had sex with a really close friend was that she never felt embarrassed to ask questions. Rishou was a little wild, but he was a patient and kind lover. He had taken the time to show her things, and for that she was grateful. At least now, with Sesshomaru, she wouldn't be totally clueless. After all, he was nearly a thousand years old, give or take a century, so he must have been with many amazing women in his long lifetime.

On second thought... that wasn't very comforting.

Would he compare her?

Sesshomaru was thoroughly enjoying the delightfully delicate and slightly salty taste of the skin just behind Kagome's ear, when he felt the shift. It was barely discernible, but he felt her stiffen, and if that had not been enough to catch his notice then the spike of unease in her scent gave her away.

Reluctantly he pulled his lips from her skin, stopping a breath away to blow softly against the moist flesh, and enjoying the shiver that she made, before nuzzling his way back to her cheek, where he asked in a husky baritone, "What concerns you, Kagome?"

The previous shiver grew into a full-blown shudder, as his deep voice brushed so sensuously against her ear. For a moment there, Kagome nearly forgot all of her reservations. That voice was magic, working its way into her body with a direct course straight to her core. She moaned, and shifted her hips, shamelessly rubbing the achy spot against his eager manhood.

Sesshomaru stilled with a short gasp and a low growl. If she were to do that one more time, he may not be able to stop himself from ravishing her right there upon his bathroom counter top. While that was a perfectly intriguing position with many future possibilities, he would much prefer their first time to take place somewhere more comfortable. Like his bed.

Gods. He wanted to be inside of her.

With a strength that tested his control beyond any moment before it, Sesshomaru pulled away. He tipped her chin up and kissed her slowly. A meeting of lips with promises of pleasures to come. Then he drew back to ask once more, "Tell me, Kagome. What do you suddenly fear?"

No way could Kagome tell him that she was worried she might not measure up to his past lovers. So, Kagome said the first thing that came to mind. "It's just... well, that I'm so dirty." She even wrinkled her nose for good measure.

He seemed to consider her words, and she wondered if he could tell whether she was lying or not. Thankfully, he didn't question her further. Heck, she was filthy, after all.

Sesshomaru stepped back, nodding with a sly grin. "Then I will leave you to take care of the problem."

The door clicked behind him and the room seemed to grow in proportion to the absence of his staggering presence.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his comment, but opted to keep her mouth shut. Her heart was currently beating a pounding rhythm that she tried to soothe by placing her hand over her chest. It didn't work. She took a deep breath, and counted to ten before slowly letting it go. That was a little better.

He was just so... so... Magnificent.

Oh he had his quirks. His cup runneth over with arrogance, and he could be a complete jerk, but what he lacked in social skills, he made up for on the Hot-o-meter. Whew.

After hopping off the counter, Kagome turned to the wall length mirror over the double sinks, and immediately wished that she had instead grabbed one of the fluffy white towels with gold trim, and dove directly into the shower. She looked a mess! There was debris in her hair. Debris! Something, black... or was it green... was smeared on her face and nose. Her arms were bruised and she was covered in tiny bleeding wounds. How he could possibly have found her desirable, she had no idea.

With a shake of her head, Kagome set to work. She quickly stepped into the massive shower, and ignoring the renewed sting of her many lacerations, she began scrubbing away the grime.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome emerged from the master bathroom wearing a thick black bathrobe that swallowed her small stature, but felt dreamy against her skin. It also smelled scrumptiously like Sesshomaru. She stopped to tug the collar up before inhaling deeply with a smile. He smelled so nice. Like a lush forest at night, just after a fresh spring rain. And distinctly male. A dark, powerful, and wholly masculine smell.

She looked up when movement caught her eye, and her breath completely left her body. Standing just across the room was Sesshomaru, wearing a pair of baggy, white silk lounge pants with swirls and slashes of black painted onto one hip and thigh. They were slung low on his hips and gathered at the waist, where a loose bow held them in place. Kagome experienced a great urge to unwrap him, like a present.

His chest was bare. And oh my, what a chest he had. He was tall and covered in lean, toned, muscle. Each movement was a wondrous play of brawn beneath tightly stretched skin. His chest was chiseled, and his abdomen would even make Brad Pitt cry in shame. His arms were long, ending with big hands and strong fingers tipped with deadly claws. His hips narrow. His thighs bulging with lean toned muscle.

Kagome found it hard to breathe. She nearly dropped the brush that she held in her hand.

He was gorgeous.

When she finally pulled her eyes away from feasting on the sight of all that bare flesh, Kagome saw his deeply amused, yet extremely heated, expression.

"Do you like what you see, Kagome?"

Kagome could have kicked herself, but she couldn't help it, his words just had that sort of reaction. She took another look. Woah. That was one beautiful man.

He had obviously taken the opportunity, while she was bathing, to grab a shower himself, because his skin still held a thin sheen of moisture and his pearlescent hair hung damp, silvery with wetness, down to the middle of his shoulder blades.

His chuckle brought her eyes back up to his, while a blush swept over her face and neck, compounding her embarrassment, because at her age she shouldn't blush so easily. Quickly, she looked away in a fatal attempt to hide her flustered face.

She was a vision. All wrapped up in his bathrobe and blushing like a new bride. Which she was, in a sense. He would take her as his tonight, and by youkai measure, she would belong to him forever, until death parted them in this life, only to rejoin them once more in the next.

He tossed the towel in his hands to the side, and crossed the room. She refused to look at him, and it annoyed him somewhat. He wanted to see her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes.

He took the brush, which she had nearly dropped earlier, but now held with a death grip. "Come, Kagome. Let me brush your hair."

Kagome glanced up at him with surprise, never expecting the great Lord Sesshomaru to ask to brush her hair. He met her question with more of that disturbing masculine amusement, but also a quiet confidence that she knew she could always trust. Kagome smiled and released her hold on the silver crafted brush.

She allowed him to guide her back into his bedroom, where his massive bed lay in wait. She felt just a little panic, as any inexperienced young woman would, when faced with their ravishment at the hands of a stunning centuries old youkai.

Sesshomaru helped her up, and then crawled around behind her with the sensual grace only held by that of a large predator. Kneeling behind her, knees spread to get close, Sesshomaru took a moment to inhale deeply of her damp hair. Her scent was fresh and calling to him.

**Lemon Warning Starts Here**

**For the unedited version of this chapter, please visit Mediaminer, A Single Spark, or AdultFanfiction.**

**Lemon Paused Here (muahahaha!)**

Sesshomaru was near panting with the restraint needed to keep from tossing her face first into the plush linens and fucking her senseless. Not that he didn't intend to do that anyway, but he was not ready just yet. It was during this luminous, yet painful moment that a loud, and highly unwelcome voice thoroughly and completely rained on his parade.

That cretin wolf.

"Sesshomaru! You God Dammed Son-of-a-Bitch! Open this FUCKING door before I bust it down! I know you've got Kagome in there!"

If she hadn't known, beyond a shadow of doubt, that Sesshomaru would never hurt her, Kagome might have been scared after hearing the sinister growl that tore from the daiyoukai's throat. His jaki spiked, causing her purity to pulse in response, which obviously snapped some sense back into her lover. She felt the angry surge of jaki once again return to him and breathed a sigh of relief that, unfortunately, didn't last.

"Stay," he snapped.

Kagome's eyes went narrow and her lips tightened with anger. Sesshomaru immediately felt her temper flare and realized his mistake. His miko was not one to be ordered. He ignored the fool bellowing madly outside of his penthouse door, and calmed himself. Then he tried again. "Kagome, it would pain me if you were to leave my bed. I have dreamed of having you here for far too long. Allow me to kill the baka wolf, then I will return to you with haste."

He was so serious when he said it that Kagome realized he really _was_ serious. "Sesshomaru. Please don't kill Kouga. He has been a valuable friend in the past. He's saved me from certain death several times. Besides, he did help rescue me from Hotaka's compound. Well, until you knocked him out anyway. Please? For me?"

He knew from the beginning that she was going to be trouble. He recalled thinking just that when he first spotted her wearing that shapely little black dress at the human burial site. Damn.

Through clenched teeth he gave his word, "This Shuusaka will refrain from killing the wolf."

"Thank-you, my love."

He had been moving to slide from the bed when her words hit home. He turned back to her with surprise, and she met his look with a brilliant smile and complete honesty in her big blue eyes. She loved him? Was he dreaming?

She nodded curtly, and the adoring smile on her face told him the truth. She did. She loved him. He felt his heart soar. It was a similar feeling to that of leaping from the highest mountain peak to fly over a lush valley below. Amazing. He wanted to howl it to the world.

But first.

The wolf.

That insolent, mangy, excuse for a canine would be the first to become acquainted with Kagome's penuriously mated status.

The hard way, if at all possible.

Taisho Shuusaka stalked through his home with menace on his mind. He forced the poison not to spill from his claws, but it took a great effort. It would, after all, be a shame to ruin the rugs.

When he slammed the door open to face the nuisance - come to torment him during what could be the most amazing moment of his life - Sesshomaru smirked at the sight that greeted him. He had assumed that the thickness of the door was what muffled Kouga's usually excruciatingly loud shouts, but in fact, it was the after-effects of a broken snout.

Apparently he was back for more.

"Wolf," Sesshomaru barked with venom.

Kouga wasted no time in launching into his rant. "Just because she wants you and not me, it gives you no right to take advantage of her after what happened tonight! She's hurt and she's been through a lot, you pompous prick! You should have taken her to her mother. The poor woman is freaked out. Naoaki's putting forth more effort than I care to witness in soothing her worries." Kouga then tossed a look over his shoulder. "...And I'm stuck with this guy!" Behind him, stood Rishou grinning sheepishly. "Hey man. Uh, we were just worried about Kagome. Is she okay now?"

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his esteemed eyes. This was a most unwelcome development.

Reminding himself again that he had promised not to kill the wolf, Sesshomaru decided to just try and get rid of them. Preferably with a good unhealthy dose of poison, but circumstances as they were, he opted for just getting them to leave. And Fast. His growl sent the human scurrying back several feet before plastering himself against the elevator door. Kouga, however, was not so easily deterred. He made no move to leave.

"You dare interfere with the taking of my mate, boy?" Sesshomaru always enjoyed reminding the wolf that he was a mere pup compared to his own wizened years. It always seemed to rub the cubs fur the wrong way.

Kouga growled low and balled his fists. "Don't fuck with me Sesshomaru. I'm not up for your games tonight! Wait a second... you... you said _mate_?"

"Correct. Fool." Sesshomaru added for the hell of it.

When her scent grew stronger he nearly sighed with pleasure, but he refused to let the wolf and human male see how much her presence effected him. When she slid beneath his arm and sidled up against him, he nearly forgot how strongly he did not wish to appear weak. However, he caught the pleasant feeling before it manifested into something visible, and contented himself with pulling her slight frame more fully against him.

Back in the bedroom, Kagome figured the chances of their encounter coming off without violence was pretty much slim to none. It was after a rather uncomfortable silence, in which she imagined some pretty nasty visions of a melting Kouga, she decided to get up and make sure that everything was okay. She slipped back on the robe, and joined them at the door, smiling when Sesshomaru pulled her possessively against him.

"Wow Kouga. You should put some ice on that." Kagome said, giving him a look of sympathy for his poor abused nose. Kouga, in response, merely puffed his chest out and chose to pretend that it hadn't hurt. "Phff! It's nothing. I'll be back to my handsome self by tomorrow morning." He then narrowed his eyes angrily before motioning to Sesshomaru. "This guy, however, will be eating pavement if he's forcing you into anything."

Kagome ignored Sesshomaru's dangerous growl, and giggled instead. "Seriously, Kouga, Rishou. Thanks for being concerned. I'm fine. Really. Sesshomaru is not doing anything that..." she looked up over her shoulder, meeting Sesshomaru's knowing gaze, then away with a blush. "... that I don't want him to do."

"See wolf man," Rishou chastised. "I told you she was fine. They just need... some time."

Kagome smiled warmly at him. "Thanks Rishou. Everything's just been... well, I just need some time to gather myself. Please talk to mom for me. Tell her I will be home first thing in the morning. Tell her that I love her, and not to worry."

"Sure Kagome. I know she'll understand. She's one cool onna, your mom." Rishou grinned, ignoring the stab of jealousy that threatened his calm, unconcerned, front. Damn she looked pretty all snuggled up in that black robe. He looked up and found golden eyes boring into him with frightening intensity. Could the guy read minds too? Damn. He hoped not.

"Come on wolf. Let's get the hell out of here."

Kouga forced his hands to unclench. "Fine." He snapped at Rishou, but to Sesshomaru, he left a with a farewell warning. "Hurt her, and I'll be chewing on your bones before you realize what hit you."

Sesshomaru scoffed dispassionately. The wolf was no threat to him and never would be. He tolerated the imbecile and that was where their relationship ended.

* * *

A/N: At first I intended to make the lemon one whole chapter. Things happened. Now it's two. After I wrote it, it ended up over ten thousand words. That just seemed too long to throw on you guys at once. Hope you don't mind. And if you do, well, just be happy that I'm posting them both at the same time. No waiting. Ya gotta show me love for that one! 


	18. Chapter 18 Kagome's Gift Part 2

**Madman**

By Rinseternalsoul

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

**Chapter 18 - Kagome's Gift Part 2**

When Kouga and Rishou were finally gone, he slammed the door closed, swept Kagome up, and returned to the master bedroom. He released her, allowing her to slide sensuously down his body. She then stepped back and smiled playfully. "Thank you, for letting them live."

"Hn," was his grunted response.

She took two more steps back and then slipped the knot loose in her robe, before allowing it to slide from her shoulders to pool at her feet. He nearly came undone.

She was full of smooth, womanly curves. Rounded hips, and beautiful breasts - bounteous and pert - stood out tipped with dark aureoles and thick, budded nipples. She was slender, yet not overly so. There were no bony hips waiting to stab him and thoughts of sliding himself along all that softness positively made him feral.

Kagome wondered if the blush that was covering her face had made it to her chest yet, because she was pretty embarrassed to be standing in front of Sesshomaru completely naked. She had shown her adult naked body to only two other men in her life, so it had taken a heap of courage to drop that robe.

Now she was standing before him, and she felt very small next to his tall, muscular physique. At first her shyness nearly overcame her, and she fought the urge to dart over to that giant bed, dive in, and hide under the covers. It was the look in his eyes that stopped her. It was a hot look, full of dark, sensual, contemplation and candid male appreciation. Her curiosity at his reaction helped to give her courage, because she was eager to see more of those looks from her demon lord. She wanted to discover ways to drive him over the edge, push him to his limits. He was always so rigid.

What would it take for Sesshomaru to lose himself?

Would it be dangerous?

The thought gave her a shiver. She bent one knee slightly, rubbing her thighs together, just a fraction - a vain attempt to ease the needy ache between her legs - then put the tip of her finger on her bottom lip in thought. Would his eyes turn red? Would his fangs grow?

For some reason, that idea really excited her.

She had always been a sucker for danger.

**This whole chapter is a LEMON from here out!!**

**For the unedited version of this chapter, please visit Mediaminer, A Single Spark, or AdultFanfiction.**

* * *

A/N: Yippie! They are mated and thoroughly sexed! Coming up: Kagome returns to her mother after one final round of hot sex. Sesshomaru discovers that Kagome has a little animal in her nature as well. The Hotaka incident makes front page, but there's something strange about the report, and Rishou takes Kouga and Hachi out for a night on the town with the boys. See you then! 


End file.
